Anxiety is running rampant in our generation. We’re constantly buried under the weight of a million choices and it’s manifesting itself physically. It feels like an elephant sitting on your chest shouting at you that you’re not good enough. But you can manage it, and in a pinch you can prevent it from escalating to a panic attack.
- The Harmonic Breath: Cover One Nostril, Inhale for 4 seconds, pause, then exhale for 6 seconds. Repeat on the other side. A deep breath sends a signal to your brain that you are safe.
- Hug yourself Tight: The Embrace of a friend or loved one can melt away stress in an instant, but we’re unfortunately not always surrounded by the right people when anxiety rears it’s ugly head. Wrap your arms around yourself and squeeze while taking deep, slow, breaths. The warmth of your own touch creates the same flow of calming oxytocin as cuddling.
- Use your 5 senses: Ground yourself by focusing on things that are happening right now. Find one thing you can see, one thing you can hear, one thing you can touch, one thing you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
The brain actually isn’t capable of focusing on more than one thing at a time, hence why in this fast paced world our attempts to do it all we’re seeing a rise of this debilitating state of mind we call anxiety. It takes a long time of consistently choosing to live our lives in a way that doesn’t stretch us too thin to really end it. While we work to find that balance, it’s always important to have weapons in your arsenal to remain triumphant and at peace.
AH Wellness 