How to calm down during anxiety and depression?
We live in an age of anxiety where there is always something that causes us stress; traffic, tasks, projects, relationships, our mind is constantly working and anxiety springs up everywhere. In itself, anxiety has a purpose, but the lifestyle we enter into causes us to be in a state of destructive anxiety.
I’ll share a few techniques but the truth is that there is no magic pill, reducing anxiety is a lifestyle, the change will not be instantaneous.
6 steps to calm anxiety:
Recognize
Recognize when and how anxiety arises: Observe very carefully when your anxiety is released, in an exam, when you pay money, with a stranger, what is happening in your mind or around you when you experience anxiety. Once you identify the object of your anxiety, how it manifests itself, physically how you feel it. Anxiety can be accompanied by many negative emotions, don’t try to suppress those emotions, instead; observe and label them. Try to create a sensation journal, try to observe yourself, and write down what caused your anxiety and how you experienced it.
Observe
Observe your thoughts: during your state of anxiety thousands of thoughts pass through your head; Those thoughts are usually loaded with negativity, but they are not real. they are just a distortion of reality, anxious thoughts tend to believe that they can predict the future, that they can read minds, that they can anticipate a catastrophe. These thoughts convince you that something is wrong, or is going to happen.
Challenge
Challenge your negative thoughts: Now that you are aware of your thoughts, also become aware that you can change them and observe reality from another point of view, get away from the problem and see with the new solver glasses, what advice would you give, what would you say. The study, analyze those thoughts and remove power, keep carefully observing your problems and every time you have these kinds of thoughts, change your position and observe them from another perspective.
Face your fears
Face your fears: You have to be willing to experience anxiety to decrease it, you will have to face your worst fears to eliminate your anxiety. If you run away and separate yourself from the situations that create it, you are giving it more power over your life. You will have to go forward, at some point you will be more vulnerable before its effects, but it is the only way.
Breathing deeply
Breathing deeply: There are many breathing exercises to control anxiety, but this is one of my most effective; The moment you are experiencing a lot of anxiety, take a deep breath for six seconds. For six seconds inhale as much air as you can, don’t try to inflate your lungs, instead; try to inflate your stomach, hold the air for four seconds and exhale through the mouth with the lips puckered, exhale for seven seconds. Repeat this breath until the symptoms of anxiety disappear. This is very effective in the short term in relieving the negative feelings of anxiety, but it is important that you do the other steps as well. Breathing has the incredible ability to anchor you to the present.
When anxiety and negative thoughts overwhelm you, this powerful exercise can be very helpful.
Accept uncertainty
Accept uncertainty and trust in the present: Life will not always take you where you want to go, but it is completely up to you that you are in the present. You are the only one responsible for your state, no matter what is happening around you, you have control of how you are going to act and how to deal with everything. The uncertainty of the future can generate a lot of fear and anxiety, just accept it and let it go, focus your attention on this moment, and trust that this moment will take you where you want to go. Anxiety can paralyze you only if you let it.
People usually roll their eyes initially when they hear “breathing is important”. But I will continue to say it and explain why. It’s so simple, yet has such a big impact on your body’s physiology.
When you and calm and relaxed, your body is in “rest and digest” mode. You breathe normally, your heart rate is lower and your muscles are relaxed. However, when stress or anxiety or anger occurs, your body automatically switches into “flight, fight or freeze” mode. Your muscles tense up, your heart rate increases and your breathing becomes more shallow.
Taking deep breaths, instead of shallow breaths, is one way to tell your body to get back to resting and digesting. That’s why deep breathing is important!
Luckily, there are some fun ways to teach kids deep breathing techniques
THINGS TO USE:
Bubbles
Feathers
Pinwheels
Stuffed animals
Dandelions
Deep breathing using shapes
These six steps represent one way to manage or calm your anxiety but the most important thing you have to do; It is to commit to making a change in yourself and in your life, we know that it is not easy when there are so many things inside and outside our environment that can affect us, the important thing is not to be defeated and not be your worst enemy.