How To Manage Anxiety?

One of the most important aspects of dealing with anxiety is having the ability to notice what’s going on and taking steps to calm yourself down. One step we recommend is known as the 3-3-3 rule. Simply, look around you and name three things that you can see. Then, name three sounds you can hear. After that, move three parts of your body in controlled, deliberate movements, e.g Rolling your wrists or ankles in circles. Whenever you feel your mind starting to race, this technique can be very helpful to centre your mind and bring you back to the present moment. This will allow you some reprieve from the exhausting loop of unhelpful thinking.

Often times when we’re feeling down, we reach for some comfort food. However, it’s important to realise eating that chocolate bar can do more harm than good in terms of your anxiety. Sugar simply provides your brain with more energy and has proven to worsen the feelings of anxiousness. You’re better off looking for some complex carbohydrates like whole grains or starchy vegetables to offer slow-burning energy your body can use to recover.

In the 1920s, a physician by the name of Edmund Jacobsen discovered a relationship between deep muscle relaxation and reducing feelings of anxiety. He worked with the understanding that by consciously trying to reduce the amount of tension we feel in our muscles, we can influence how anxious we feel. The aim of what is now known as ‘Progressive Muscle Relaxation’ (PMR) is to learn how to release tension in our muscles through daily exercise. This is believed to communicate feelings of calm and safety to our body, reducing the need to activate a “fight or flight” response. You can try this method by tensing your bicep as hard as you can and holding that squeeze for between 5 and 7 seconds. After letting go, completely relax your arm, let it fall to your side, and feel the difference between the tension you just experienced and the relaxation now taking over your arm. You may even notice a warm sensation of blood flowing into the area. Jacobsen’s studies have suggested that doing this with each group of muscles in the body, as a regularly practiced exercise will take effect over time.