Chill Out  

 

This week I spoke to the anxiety support group sponsored by the Mental Health Association of Forsyth county on how to
calm yourself. Here's some of the suggestions you might find helpful.

1) Breathe. Deep belly breathing is an instant way to interrupt the cycle of anxiety. Many of us, as we go through
our daily lives, breathe very shallowly. Practice taking deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your
mouth, pulling the air as deeply through your body as you can. Making this a habit makes it easier to do when a crisis
comes or anxiety rises. You may choose to practice it when stopped at a stoplight or while waiting on your morning
coffee.

I once gave a friend a framed quotation for her desk that  said: "I only have to do two things today: Breath in.
Breathe out."

If you are feeling particularly anxious, it can help to place your hand on your chest as you breathe in and out. The
physical touch helps ground us and reduce our anxiety.

2) Using a mantra or phrase. As you breathe, choose a word or phrase to focus on. It may be one word, such as "peace."
Or you may tell yourself, "I am breathing in calm... I am breathing out fear." Having a word or phrase to focus on
gives your mind something else to do rather than focusing on the anxiety.

3) Walk the dog, pet the cat. Some studies suggest that the presence of animals in our lives can reduce blood pressure.
They are nonjudgmental and completely accepting of us. Seeing our dog wagging his tail as we walk or hearing our
cat purr as we stroke them can increase our own sense of wellbeing.

4) Do routine maintenance. Pay attention to your physical self. Things like taking in too much caffeine and sugar,
along with not getting enough exercise, can have a negative effect on our emotional as well as physical state.

5) Imagery and visualization. If you're worried, visualize a container, and place your worries by one into your
container, closing the lid when you're done. Now you can take them out and deal with them one at the time, instead of
feeling overwhelmed. (Or you may decide you're better off just leaving them there!) Relaxation imagery can also help
to quiet the mind and relax the body. The "Easing stress and anxiety" mediation on our CD, Feeling Good, (www.healing-growth-change.com)  is a good example of such a visualization.