In a world of dominated by negative news in the media, it can be hard to keep perspective. When anxiety is triggered we can be left feeling edgy, out of control, scatty & exhausted.
The brain, when it perceives a threat (think sabre-toothed tiger) over which we have no control, can turn on the ‘freeze’ response. We then lose the ability to think clearly, logically and with empathy. Essentially, we give ourselves a frontal lobotomy and our bodies are flooded with adrenaline & cortisol. This can then overwork the immune system so it can’t properly protect us.
In our culture, many of us are in danger of living in this paralysed freeze response.
So, I thought I would share six, proven & easy ways to help you if you are feeling anxious.
- Breathwork
Whenever you feel anxiety rising, put your hand on your heart & imagine your breath going into, and out of, your heart as you breathe rhythmically. Breathe in for six counts and out for six counts. Keep this going for a couple of minutes. It increases your heart rate coherence, calms the nervous system and reduces stress levels, allowing you to think clearly again.1
- Minimise your media consumption
People who watch just three minutes of negative news in the morning have been shown to have a 27% greater likelihood of reporting their day as unhappy or depressing 6-8 hours later.2 So maybe now is the time to turn off media and social media notifications and limit news consumption to reliable sources once or twice a day?
- Social connection
Humans thrive on social connection – so much so that it is as predictive of how long we will live as smoking, obesity and blood pressure.3 Surround yourself with positive, calm people, and those who you feel most ‘you’ with – the ones you can be vulnerable with and still feel safe. And don’t forget to smile at people in the street. Our mirror neurones are activated when someone smiles at us, releasing dopamine – our happy hormone.4 It’s an easy way of making each other feel better.
- Exercise outdoors
This is a double whammy for both reducing anxiety5 and boosting immunity. The exercise, the joy of being in the open air and the vitamin D all give us an immune boost to help us face down any circulating illnesses.
- Try yoga or meditation
I am not a yoga teacher, but I know that an hour of yin yoga calms my mind immeasurably. And with remote sessions often on offer, if you don’t want to travel, you don’t have to. Meditation can be hard if you are anxious, so start with the breath work first. To start you off, I have created some simple meditations here.
- Practise EFT tapping
If you know EFT & the tapping points, you will know it is proven to have an effect on anxiety6 and the tapping sends a message to the amygdala to reduce cortisol levels – and has been shown to do so by 24%.7
- Prepare with heartmath breathing – hand on your heart, imagine your breath going in and out of your heart and breathe rhythmically. In for six and out for six. Do this 4-5 times.
- Think about a specific event when you felt a spike of anxiety. Observe what happens in your body – what you can feel and if there is a colour, shape texture or sensation that you notice. Observe what emotion you are holding in that part of your body. Do two rounds of tapping whilst focusing on this emotion.
- As the level of emotional intensity comes down, do a third round of tapping bringing in a new calming colour of your choice, whilst being open to feeling calm & releasing that emotion.
- As you tap repeat in your head, or out loud, a phrase like ‘I am open to feeling calm in this moment’ or ‘I am ready to feel calmer now’.
- Do this exercise whenever you feel mounting anxiety.
If you don’t know EFT or don’t know the tapping points and would like guidance, do get in touch.
Our anxious thoughts are mainly controlled by our sub-conscious, which is largely formed before the age of six. It has stored up negative memories and beliefs, created as a result of those memories. How we react to any trigger is determined by those beliefs.
EFT works by neutralising negative memories. We then work with the sub-conscious mind to resolve and re-frame those memories & the accompanying beliefs. The effects can be quick and transformational. So if you are feeling anxious and would like to know how EFT can help, do book a free 20 minute introductory call here.
I hope this all helps, and if you do just one thing, make it the breath work – do it often, as often as you feel your anxiety rising.
With love
Fiona
Sources:
- https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/coherence/
- Shawn Achor, Positive Psychology Expert www.shawnachor.com
- Shawn Achor, Positive Psychology Expert www.shawnachor.com
- Shawn Achor, Positive Psychology Expert www.shawnachor.com
- Mackay J, James G&N. The effect of “green exercise” on state anxiety and the role of exercise duration, intensity, and greenness: A quasi-experimental study. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2010;11:238-245. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2010.01.002.
- Clond, M. (2016). “Emotional Freedom Techniques for anxiety: A systematic review with meta-analysis. ” Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 204 (2016): 388-395. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000000483, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM9_P7S_yjw&t=41s
- Church, Yount & Brooks, 2012