Mindfulness Tips for Managing Anxiety
Do you suffer from stress or anxiety? Is it sometimes all a bit too much? Anxiety can be debilitating to live with, but using mindfulness and meditation techniques can soften those feelings of stress or panic.
Mindfulness can help manage anxiety, making those overwhelming feelings of stress a little bit easier to live with. From dealing with a panic attack to coping with stress to soothing yourself in moments of fear and worry, mindfulness can be used to take back control over your feelings.
If you find that anxiety is taking over your life, mindfulness should not be used as a replacement for treatment by your health professional. However, many experts recommend mindfulness techniques that can be used alongside proper mental health treatment.
Here are the five best mindfulness tips for managing anxiety in your daily life.
Manage Your Anxiety With These Five Mindfulness Tips
Focus on your breathing
When we feel anxious, we sometimes begin to breathe more quickly without even realizing it. This is because anxiety often makes us feel breathless, prompting us to try and take in more oxygen than we need.
Instead, pause and concentrate on taking deep breaths. Clear your mind of thoughts and focus entirely on slowly breathing in and out. Take a deep breath in, hold it for three seconds, then release it. Do this ten times or as often as you need to feel calmer.
Choose acceptance
Sometimes life is beyond our control. We cannot always change the things that cause us anxiety — but we can accept them.
Choosing acceptance does not mean that you stop feeling anger, disappointment, or sadness. However, sometimes accepting that things are the way they are and that you do not have the power to change them can grant us enormous relief.
Pay attention to your body
Anxiety is more than mental; it’s physical too. However, when we notice the physical effects on our body, we are often already in the throes of anxiety at its most intense.
Stress and anxiety can cause significant reactions in our body, from rapid breathing to feelings of nausea to shaking. When you feel anxious, take a moment to stop and think about where in your body you feel the anxiety.
Is there a knot in your belly? Is your heart thumping faster than usual? Does your body feel stiff? By taking a moment to stop and recognize the signs of anxiety in our body, we can identify it in its beginning stages before it feels like it has taken over.
Remain in the moment
When we feel anxious, our thoughts begin to spiral. We start imagining worst-case scenarios, dwelling on the past, and worrying about the future. Instead, try centering yourself in the present moment.
What can you hear around you? What can you see? Do you notice any smells or tactile sensations? Rather than feeling anxious about your past or future, try to stay grounded entirely in the moment you are in. Doing this creates space for yourself, taking a momentary break from the pressures you’re struggling with.
Find a different environment
Sometimes just changing our surroundings can help us change how we feel. When you feel anxious, try taking a walk for a change of scenery. If you can’t get out of the house, even going into a different room can help.
New stimuli give our brain something else to think about, whether it’s a temperature change, switching from sitting to standing and walking, or just giving our eyes something different to look at. Next time you feel the anxiety starting to creep up on you, try leaving the room or area you’re in and going elsewhere instead.
Anxiety can be hard to live with, but there are ways to manage it and even reduce it. Next time you struggle with anxiety, try using some mindfulness tips and exercises. While mindfulness is not a cure-all and should not be used as a replacement for advice and treatment from your healthcare professional, it can be incorporated into your daily or weekly routine to help keep those feelings of anxiety away. Have you tried mindfulness to manage your stress? What techniques have worked best for you?
Speak With a Health Professional
As these tips can soften and less stress and anxiety, they may not be a cure-all. Therefore as we have mentioned, it is always beneficial to speak with your health care professional.
Febe Sieb is a certified holistic health professional and board-certified naturopathic doctor who owns The Tierra Wellness Center. A center where knowledge and passion are to create healthier lives and restore inner vitality. As stress and anxiety can cause many other health issues, it is essential to always speak with a health professional such as Fiebe Sieb. Contact here to learn more about Febe and The Tierra Wellness Center.
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