7 Tips to Relieve Anxiety
by Dr. Susan Ricketson, serving World Wide holistic health needs via coaching and counseling
Anxiety is a physically, emotionally, and spiritually painful condition. It is far reaching in its’ range of experiences. It can be a startling stab of fear in the stomach, a tightening and painful sense in the chest, breathing labored, pains and spasms throughout the body, free floating feeling of disquiet and tension, head being crammed too full and busy with fast moving thoughts to a debilitating condition where you have periodic attacks which are immobilizing.
It appears to be fear which can escalate to terror. It is also often a cover emotion for worry and anger. Those feelings are harder to get to because they are not often apparent while in the midst of feeling anxious. Anxiety causes sleeplessness, loss of appetite, or compulsive eating.
In its’ most severe state one can become paralyzed and physical contact of a safe nature is the non medical way of bringing a person out of it.
There are medications to deal with anxiety and you should contact a mental health specialist to assist you for that. These generally have side effects and are used only until you can get to the root of your anxiety which will provide you with the freedom from repeated episodes.
Here are 7 tips to try to break through the anxiety to restore you to a natural state of being where you are comfortable and thinking clearly.
1. Breathe: a.) deep breathing: I recommend a specific breathing that is suggested by Dr. Andrew Weil. Breathe in to the count of 4, hold to the count of 7, and release through the mouth to a count of 8. b.) breathe into a paper bag holding it close around the mouth for about 2 minutes.
2. Pray: or talk to a Higher Power asking for care and relief. Choose to believe that in this moment you are being taken care of by the power greater than yourself which can return you to calm and rational thinking.
3. Talk: to a trusted person saying anything that is on your mind regardless of whether it makes sense of not. I suggest the listener only respond with “I hear you. Thank you for telling me that.”
4. Physical contact: again with a safe person, simply hugging or holding until you feel some relief. Even holding a pet for whatever length of time you need to can be of help.
5. Write: a list of all your fears, worries, and angers, the purpose being to get them out of your mind and body.
6. Ask: a number of people if they have had any of these experiences with this emotional state. You will find you are not alone. Ask if they will share their experience and how they dealt with it. Choose people who are non judgmental, non lecturing who will listen and share openly.
7. Action: self care of any kind that works for you. Take a brisk walk, dance freely to upbeat music, clean out a drawer, read meditation or self help books that bring you comfort. Continue to do any of these things until you feel a release in your body and let any emotions fall freely from you and really get into them.
When you calm down from this high stress emotion you can have the luxury of sorting out the different feelings which compose anxiety. You can see if there are any changes you need to make in your daily life or if you simply need to accept where you are right now. Get in the moment and stay away from the past or the future. Just deal with today, to this hour, to this minute. Tell yourself you are ok in this moment. Say to yourself there is nothing your need to do but breathe, be still and be grateful for the relief.
If the condition of anxiety continues, however sporadically, seek professional help to overcome this. It is very destructive and will undermine your health. You can learn about the many feelings that go into this condition and learn to deal with each one of those separately. You can begin to understand what makes you tick: what thinking or behavior triggers it and you can learn skills to not only stop this at the onset but ones to eliminate it most of the time.
It is empowering to become adept in understanding the many feeling and causes that go into your particular anxiety reaction. It is the ultimate freedom to be in charge of what is going on in you. You can choose to be an actor instead of a reactor to forces in your life. You can choose your attitudes and behaviors regardless of your circumstances.
Dilemma of Love
