Have you ever been in this situation before? You were having anxious thoughts and extremely anxious feelings, heart racing, thought racing and you were afraid of having an anxiety attack. Many of us have experienced that. It can be scary. Here are some of the things people have used to help their anxious minds.
Take a deep breath: I cannot empathize the importance of breath, just this one breath. Take slow, deep breaths, focusing on your breath as you inhale and exhale. This simple breathing exercise can reduce symptoms of anxiety and you will feel more at pease physically and emotionally after 5-10 minutes.
Grounding technique-Name 5 things you see around you. Say 4 things you can hear. Pa attention and notice the air or distant car. Name 3 things touch and really feel the touch. then go on to say 2 things you can smell and finally one thing to taste. You can put mint candy to really enjoy that piece or you can sip your coffee.
Pleasurable activities that are soothing and relaxing for you. Coloring, pain by the numbers, jewelry making, calling friends, taking a walk with friends, humming, singing, dancing. taking a warm bath, taking a walk, smell the candle, cook a simple meal
Pick one activity you can immerse yourself in. For example, you are going to fold laundry and try yourself int this activity mindfully. Observe, notice your thoughts and feelings and do not judge them and return to your breath every time you feel distracted and return to folding laundry and you can move on to another self-care activity. It could be less than 10 minutes at a time if you can handle.
Carry a meaningful object: I have this heart quartz stone given by my friend. I think of her when I bring it to my travel and this quartz is the reminder of our friendship and it soothes me when I get stressed during overseas travel and you can always come back to the object. It can be grounding to focus on shale, color, texture, temperature when you hold it. It centers my mind. If you want to bring stress ball, that is a wonderful idea too!
Radical acceptance! This is my favorite, yet difficult concept to practice. It is human nature not to want to simply accept the situation and wants to problem solve. I can acknowledge that and I even try to think about what is in my control realistically. When you don't accept what you cannot change, you will continue to suffer. Willing hand and Half smiles cam be very soothing if you sit with it for a few minutes with deep breathing.
Then patience and self-compassion: Radical acceptance is a form of compassion because you accept the reality for what it is, you can move toward change. It takes time to let the anxiety pass sometimes and it is really important to give yourself some grace.
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