Tips and advice on dealing with anxiety
Almost everyone suffers from a cramped feeling from time to time. Someone might get just a little dizzy, and others might fall into more severe distress and panic.
Surely many of you know that yoga is a great tool not only for strengthening the body, but also for finding ones inner harmony and for improving your concentration throughout the day. However, yoga can be joined by other helpful tools that can greatly support you on your way to inner peace and happiness. If you’re dealing with anxiety, here are some ways to help you manage it.
BREATHING IS KEY ✮⋆˙
In a state of stress and tension, the breath becomes faster and shallower. During an acute panic attack, it is almost impossible to breathe in or out deeply, let alone breathe calmly and slowly. Although it is difficult in this state, we recommend that you begin to focus on your breath. This should oxygenate and relax your body. Focusing on the breath also calms the racing thoughts that only make the panic worse. Whether you experience mild stress or severe anxiety, remember that your breath is always with you and you can use it anytime.
When breathing, first bring your breath into your belly. You can put your hand on your stomach to feel your breath coming in and out. You can then gently guide the breath into your chest, but don’t inflate it too much. Stress is stored especially in the area of the diaphragm – by relaxing it, you give the body a signal that everything is going to be alright.
A recommendation from Lucie Königová, yoga therapy teacher: exhale slightly longer than you inhale, do not hold your breath during the exhalation. On the contrary, after exhaling, calmly wait for an inhale. Take your time, it’s a kind of a natural pause after breathing out and before breathing in again. But before you start doing this naturally, slightly extend the exhale a little longer than the inhale. Only then work with the natural pause after an exhale.
Another breathing tip: breathe in through your nose to a slow count of 4, then hold your breath for a count of 7. Pout your lips and exhale through your mouth, slowly counting to 8. Exhalation is followed by a slight pause. Repeat the whole thing at least 4 times. It is best to do this breathing at least twice a day.
There are many other breathing techniques for managing anxiety – it is important to choose one that works best for you.
MEDITATE ✮⋆˙
In recent times the effective Mindfulness method has become more popular than ever in the fight against anxiety. It requires a period of time in witch you concentrate your attention only on the present moment, without making any judgments about it. Only 10 minutes of this practice a day can greatly help reduce anxiety for those who suffer from it. It helps people experiencing anxiety to shift their attention from their negative thoughts to the present moment and therefor improves their concentration on any work or free time activity .
MOVE ✮⋆˙
Exercise is definitely one of the best tools against anxiety. As well as calming the mind and releasing endorphins it helps you get a calmer and more refreshing sleep. Not mentioning the improvement of your physical condition as well as the strengthening of muscles and the whole body. Try to do at least 20 minutes of a physical activity a day. It can be dancing, running, yoga tennis, walks…. Just find a physical activity that’s fun for you and go for it. If you’re thinking about doing yoga from home, you can try online lectures from Yoga from livingroom. Many of them are especially made for the reduction of stress, anxiety or traumatic experiences. You will soon find Yoga from living room lectures here. Follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter to be notified when the first videos are completed♡
TRY THERAPY ✮⋆˙
There exists a lot of different methods and branches of therapy. For example, the typical psychotherapy shows great results in treating anxiety. In it you search for reasons and connctions for why you feel the way you do. Conversation and understanding can greatly help you. We recommend choosing a therapist witch you will personally like and you will feel safe with and witch with you will feel the benefit for your mental being. Well suited and practical method in treating anxiety is also the cognitive-behavioral therapy (KBT). This method comes from the fact that the cause of mental problems are harmful behaviours and thinking patterns witch it tries to change into new healthier ones.
FOOD AS MEDICINE ✮⋆˙
We can also reduce cortisol levels, witch causes stress, fear or anxiety by choosing what we eat. First we should avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugar, fried food and industrially processed carbohydrates. To stabilise sugar levels in the body and therefor also cortisol levels best foods are nori, kimchi, quinoa, brown sugar, blueberries, the maca root, nuts and pumpkin seeds. A cup of chamomile tea also calms and relaxes the body. Linseed Oil is also often recommended. A regular dose of vitamin B6 and B12 is desirable. Quality dark chocolate for a treat is allowed:)
SOCIAL CONTACT ✮⋆˙
Food is not the only thing that a person lives from. Connection with others reduces anxiety and more even more severe mental tension. On the other hand Isolation worsens anxiety. Seek company. You can start going to yoga courses, regular meditation meetings or any other interesting or self improvement courses. Leave your home for a bit and at least go out for some tea to your local coffee shop or just for a walk thru the streets. People are social animals and the connection with others is crucial.
LAUGHTER AND SLEEP ✮⋆˙
When you laugh, you send the body a signal of safety. Plan a weekend with fun company or treat your self to a movie marathon of the best comedies. People say that laughter prolongs your life. And well here, its a surefire way to prevent negative feelings. Eight hours of sleep can do wonders. Sleep releases stress and tension gathered up thru out the day. On top of that during the night we connect with our subconscious and get into a state of “permission” and harmony.
CONNECT WITH NATURE ✮⋆˙
Nature is a huge source for all beings on this planet including us humans. Unfortunately in the fuss of every day responsibilities its hard to remember that we are a part of it. Go out every day, at least for half an hour for a walk. Sense the noises around you, birds singing, coulds moving thru the sky, rustling of leaves, the gentle touch of wind on your skin, the warm sun.
PRACTICE GRATITUDE ✮⋆˙
Try to remember, that there are people in this world who live in much worse conditions than you. Be grateful for what you have and what is good in your life. Praise yourself on when you did right. In the evening, before sleep, you can write a “gratitude journal”. Practice this instead of a sleeping pill.
RELAX ✮⋆˙
Soothing music, lounging on the couch, lying in the grass or reading a book in a cafe… Try some guided relaxation or Yoga Nidra (yoga sleep). Soon you will also get resources from us for these exercises. Find what suits you best. To get a good rest, it is definitely advisable to turn off your mobile phone and all other similar devices that connect us to the virtual world.
Rest and relaxation will re-energize you and offer you a break from everyday worries. It is advisable to take this medicine at least once a day every day.
I hope you found these tips for managing stress and anxiety helpful.
And don’t forget that reading articles is not enough. It is important to practice and repeat these tips regularly♡
I wish you all the best, Gabriela ∼ Yoga from living room
