It happens to nearly all of us. You know, that feeling of being heavily overwhelmed to the point of helplessness. The good news is, because anxiety is so common, there are incredible solutions to anxiety readily available, which have the power to curb anxiety nearly instantaneously.
If you’re someone who gets stressed easily or frequently experiences anxiety, know this, we feel you. Anxiety and stress is no pleasant feeling and can often lead to poor decision making when not confronted and dealt with. In this article we’ll discuss some accessible ways you can calm your nerves and ground yourself, no matter how serious or disheartening the circumstances may be. Here are some quick solutions to relieve anxiety and stress.
Learn to Recognise the Cues
If there’s anyone who wants to let you know that you’re feeling anxious or stressed it’s your body. Your body will do whatever it takes to let you know that you’re feeling under attack, stressed or anxious. Once we learn to tap into the first, early signs of an anxiety attack or stress, we’ll know what's coming and will be able to calm ourselves down before the situation, or feeling, grows beyond our own control.
Usually when we are feeling stressed or anxious the autonomic nervous system tends to kick in and take over. The autonomic nervous system regulates heart rate, respiration, sexual function and the bladder. But it might be most famous for its function of letting us know we’re in a threatening situation, or under attack. It’s the part of our bodies that are in control of our fight or flight response.
Some of the first physical signs of stress and anxiety include:
Headaches
heavy breathing / trouble breathing
Shakiness
stomach pain
If we pay close attention to our physical symptoms then we can quickly curb the stress or anxiety before it grows out of hand.
Stop everything you’re doing, even for a brief moment
If you notice any of the physical symptoms mentioned above, seriously stop what you are doing. If not for 20 minutes or more, then at least for a few moments. You deserve at least that much don’t you? The more we learn to listen to our bodies, the less our bodies will need to grab for our attention, if not in small ways, than with drastic measures. But why even go there? When we learn to pause, and step back from the situation that feels as if it is growing out of hand, then we may not need to take a day or week off work because of that headache that just won't go away. Give yourself that small moment to step back and assess the situation clearly. If not the situation at large, then at least your body and how it’s responding to the situation.
Breathe, but we mean it, really breathe
Once you’ve given yourself that small window to notice your body’s cues and have taken that small break from the situation, breathe. But really, take some healthy, life giving breaths in and out. We have the ability to soothe ourselves by simply breathing, imagine that! We don’t even need anyone’s help, but our own moment to breathe and ground ourselves in our bodies.
Breathing provides oxygen to your blood and brain, signaling to your autonomic nervous system that:
1. You are not under attack
2. That you are taking care of yourself.
With a healthy amount of oxygen to your brain you are then able to think more clearly and rationally, and less likely to over-react, or shut down.
Calm your nerves by triggering your senses
We all respond differently to stress. While some of us will grow angry and yell, there are others who will just shut down and feel utterly depleted. Whether you grow excited from stressful situations, or crawl into your shell, there will be external stimuli that can calm your nerves quite fast. Some people can feel calm by simply smelling essential oils like lavender, chamomile, or lemongrass, while others need to listen to music. Some of us feel calm by listening to loud fast paced music, while others feel soothed by softer sounds. You can also give yourself a hand or head massage, close your eyes and imagine a comforting space, caress an animal if you have one, drink tea without caffeine, eat a small piece of dark chocolate, go for a run or walk, dance around, and so on. The idea here is do what feels good and soothes you in the moment.
Our final thoughts on relieving stress and anxiety
The main idea here is to grow more familiar with your own body and limits. The beauty is, we don’t necessarily have to rely on our own inner resources, though it's amazing if you can one day get there. Your environment is there to support you. Sometimes just looking out the window, at a photo of someone or some place you love, external sounds, and textures can all help soothe our nerves. If you often feel stressed or anxious, you may want to consider limiting the caffeine intake from coffee, tea and other beverages like sodas and so on. Caffeine tends to stimulate heart rate which may be the opposite sensation of what you’re looking for.
Once you grow accustomed to making stress relief a habit, you will soon be able to get through both minor and majorly stressful situations. Start small and experiment with alternative stress relievers until you find something that works for you. Continue to learn to listen to your body and his or her signals. The more you practice self care and paying attention to your body’s needs, the better you’ll get at it and the better you’ll feel!
What techniques have you implemented to relieve stress and anxiety?
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