Series: What are your tried-and-proven tricks for relaxing/relieving anxiety
**Preferably non-substance/drug
I'll share a couple:
4 7 8 breathing
ears underwater
music/audio at slower speed (0.6-0.9)
Let's hear em. I might want to do a series for various conditions or states so stay tuned and lets crowd-source this shit, enough of the "read my new/old 400pg tome for an introduction". 🤮 Distill
Beta blockers - they don't cross the blood brain barrier and help calm the adrenaline response. If you're prone to panic, anxiety, trauma triggers, etc. They're very helpful for my CPTSD triggers.
Qi Gong
Listening to a Plum Village dharma talk.
Walking meditation is good when very restless or anxious. Body scans when trying to build deep states of physical relaxation. Sitting meditation for deep mental calm.
Pendulation works well when working on an overwhelming task. Permission to take small bites/small steps out of something difficult essentially.
Reminding myself that the stressor and the sensations of stress are all temporary is good for acute stress, but chronic stress can require radical acceptance instead and changes in lifestyle/habits/thinking patterns.
Oh I almost forgot, switching from coffee to tea. Although I don't do that most mornings. When I skip the coffee my anxiety is much less.
Second walking(-meditation)
Walking is inherently calming and gets you out of your head and into your body even if your mind fights it
Also tea
Walking meditation is just walking while bringing your attention intentionally to your body and your breathing as it's moving through space.
It's like walking while really enjoying walking. Minimizing distractions like thinking or a radio or conversation or whatever.
But seconding just walking all the same. As a teenager I used to put on my walkman and go for walks when I was pissed off at my parents.
Walk. Just get up off your ass and walk. It's easy and accessible to nearly everyone. Walk. Move your ass through time and space.
March like an automaton if you have to, just walk. You can refine techniques later. Just walk. MOVE. Our minds and brains are not wired to sit on a couch.
Funny how many people say this is how they started to manage their mental health.
It isn't easy for many though, either or both because of mental or physical reasons. Your comment is a very classic case of "this thing is easy for me and works for me therefore it must be the same for everyone else".
My anxiety, which has kept me on long-term sick leave for 10+ years, basically shuts down my body and ability to act. The vast majority of the time I'm completely unable to leave my apartment and often even leave the exact spot I'm in. "Just do it" just isn't possible most of the time, and that isn't an excuse, laziness or unwillingness. And this is just my specific case, there are as many different and just as real cases as there are people that also find it hard to do whatever thing is hard for them. There is never a "just X" that's valid for everyone, and it's idiotic and offensive to think and say so.
Dang I thought you were going to say something about people who are in wheelchairs.
Walking, in general, is a healthy activity that the majority of people would benefit from. I'm sorry your anxiety stops you from this activity, but to call someone idiotic, and their comments offensive, because they suggested someone with anxiety take a walk; is pretty silly.
Drinking wine and beer. In 2 days im going to rehab, this has gotten on for too long 🥲
Good luck!
Stick with it and don't try to leave just because you want to. Stay until you're actually good to go.
Best of luck! You got this.
I see that this is the day, I wish you all the best and know that realizing the issue and doing something about it is a huge step on the way!
You are doing good!
Progressive meditation. 1 minute a day for a week 5 minutes a day for a week I personally used openmindapp.org- got to the point where I was doing the much longer choices as the weeks progressed.
Yoga.
It helps me put my mind in blank, focuses me on the task at hand and helps me with cramped muscles due to tension.
Journaling.
I don't write daily, but like twice a week or when shit hits the fan. By writing down the situation, it kinda leaves my mind and I can assess it better, if that makes sense??
Weed.
Long-term: facing them and dealing with the source. e.g. I would get nervous about job interviews, but like... as I should, right!? Bc it means that I care about the outcome. Nothing will ever reduce that, except experience doing it over and over, but in the meantime that fight or flight response "helps" to go over everything, e.g. to practice and prepare in all the various ways needed.
Short-term: reading a new/old 400pg tome for an introduction to some random topic... 😜
My ex used to massage the anxiety out of my arms from shoulders to fingers like toothpaste. It was great. If you have someone close, try it.
Playing an instrument works wonders too.
Cat does that
What instrument does your cat play!?
Ujjayi breathing
Working out (intensely enough to get your heart rate up)
Wrestling/play fighting/cuddling/snuggling
Petting dogs
Journaling
How is it possible you're the only one talking about snuggling and cuddling?
Everyone else doing it wrong or something.
I'll add star gazing. For me that's an insane relaxant.
Maybe I'm just an expert snuggler 😎
Maybe. Someday in the distant future someone will invent a technology which can validate bold theories like that. Whoever gets that right will be insanely rich.
You'd be able to post on a forum and have a validated rank 5 snuggler badge or something, and everyone would know you're pro. Go on talk shows, maybe start a product line of high performance pillows.
I could go on, but there's an insane sandwich here that's staring me down
I don't know, ears underwater sound like torture. Anything with water does if I'm not drinking it.
I often hear questions worded as "how to deal with anxiety" a lot, and it feels like someone asking how to survive a fall when it's the sudden stop that kills you. More on point, my last anxiety attack was after my mum's funeral where it was discovered my siblings planned on ghosting me. It is unclear if this was repressed emotion or something new inspired this sentiment. I went home, and, after thinking about it, just cried. No bandage can do more than keep the wound closed.
If it means anything, I am a thinker at heart. Let me think my worries over and maybe I'll find peace.
Worry and worry. Let me hug you.
Thanks hugs you too
My dogs are probably the best at it. Then weed does a great job dealing with my migraines, so that also helps with anxiety. Music helps on occasion.
Rainy Mood
Don’t get the app, it’s not nearly as good.
You’re walking through a 3D soundscape of rain on a loop.
I can recommend myNoise if you’re looking for an app with quality soundscapes. Unfortunately not free for all of them, but they are all very high quality and they offer an unlock all option.
Daily meditation reliably makes me feel about 10% better
5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise
Identify:
if one of these just ramps up the anxiety, skip that sense and do the others. trying to pick 5 things i can see is. ..not useful. ..in a panic attack. but closing my eyes and doing the others does help. it took a very long time before someone suggested skipping sight to me, so i share the insight whenever this method is suggested.
I recently bought an acupressure mat for this and really like it so far. Many people said it helps them with anxiety and also the tension in muscles caused by it.
Also weighted blankets are recommended by many, but I didn’t like it too much
Stimming (I'm autististic, so it probably doesn't apply to the general population)
Repeating patterns, checks out
Well shit. I should proofread my posts. How did I even write this wrong?
Comedy. Watch something funny. It's hard to be anxious and amused at the same time, and at least for me, the amusement wins.
I also have a soft plush that I find soothing but ymmv on that one. I don't even know why it calms me down, it's not a childhood toy or anything.
Reading a book Drinking tea — not just as a replacement for coffee; it has a calming effect Petting my cats Exercise lets me expend nervous energy and leaves me relaxed
Read the parable about "the tigers and the strawberry".
Always ask yourself "what is the best possible thing I can actually do right now"
For short term relief/emotional regulation my counsellor taught me TIPP Temperature - cold water/ice/object to lower heart rate Intense exercise - a few mins of jumping jacks/running on the spot/shaking it off Paced breathing/box breathing Paired muscle relaxation - tense and relax different muscle groups
When I'm anxious I tend to get overactive so the ones that help me most are splashing cold water on my face and the intense exercise.
Anxiety during bedtime or if I have time during the day, ASMR or a well paced peaceful podcast also do the trick.
I think I will try the slower speed music, that sounds interesting.
Going for a walk.
Cleaning.
Minecraft, soo much minecraft...
Break down the issue into smaller tasks.