4 tools you have within you right now and 4 actions you can take to reduce anxiety.
Sometimes I’m anxious because I perceive that someone is upset with me. Sometimes I’m struggling with a decision, and both answers feels equally difficult. Or a friend is awaiting the results of a biopsy, or I’m worried for my child at school, or the news reports a growing crisis. But sometimes I feel that familiar knot in my belly and heightened heart rate and notice I’m breathing more shallowly and tensing my neck and glute muscles and I recognize the sensations as anxiety but I don’t know why. Can you relate?
When experiencing anxiety for no known reason, pause. Slow down. Check in with your body and notice where you are holding the tension. Close your eyes and just sit with this awareness. Insight may come from this intentional noticing, or it may not. Either is okay. Knowing the cause can be helpful if it guides you to action on an unresolved issue but is not strictly necessary for reducing anxiety.
Next, turn your attention to your breath. Simply noticing your breath will begin to calm you. Adopt a breath pattern of long, slow inhalation through the nose followed by even longer exhalation through the mouth, which will engage your parasympathetic nervous system (the relaxation system) and disengage the sympathetic nervous system (which is sending anxiety signals). Audibly sighing from the back of your throat or humming as you exhale will stimulate the vagus nerve, leading to greater stress resilience.
Notice where in your body you are storing tension and consciously release those muscles. You might play with tightening muscle groups bit by bit from the top of your head to the soles of your feet, then noticing the difference as you mindfully release into a deeper stillness.
Visualize a calming scene from a place you love or from your imagination. Mine is a memory of floating on my belly on a paddleboard, the sun warming my skin and the water balancing that warmth with soothing coolness, as a majestic sea turtle swims serenely beneath me. Many of my clients bring to mind images of sitting amongst trees, on a mountaintop, or along a babbling brook. Think of a time you felt calm, peaceful, relaxed, and content, and allow yourself to return to that place in your mind.
Most people like to do these three exercises with their eyes closed, tuning out distractions from the immediate environment. However, you might wish to experiment with adding a layer to your self-soothing repertoire by selecting a calming visual gaze spot. In Brainspotting therapy we find the spot in your visual field that tunes into and activates the traumatic memory we are processing, but the opposite is available as an effective calming tool. Look left to right, up and down, and notice what eye position feels most peaceful. Pick something in that direction to gaze at and continue with your breathwork, systematic muscle relaxation, and calm place visualization.
You have many tools and resources within you that can be harnessed to increase your calm!
These are all simple actions you can take without moving from where you are or leaving the comfort of your sofa, bed, car, or office. But there are even more resources available to decrease generalized anxiety with a little movement. Simply getting up and drinking a glass of water or eating something with carbohydrates (which is a building block for serotonin, a feel-good neurotransmitter) can cause a settling feeling for anxious emotions. Our brains must be properly nourished to function at their best.
And while you’re up and moving, consider taking 10 minutes for a walk or other physical activity. Moving your body is a great way to burn off stress and expend the adrenaline that builds up when you are anxious. Our brains are a part of, rather than distinct entities from, our bodies, which were designed or evolved to move, and too much sedentary time negatively affects our mental health. If you can find your way into green or blue spaces, meaning amongst trees or near water, the impact is magnified. Studies show that being in nature has a calming effect on our brains.1 2
Finally, a less immediate, yet no less significant, step you can take to reduce free-floating anxiety is to increase the amount you are sleeping. Aim for 7-9 hours per night through a consistent sleep routine for optimal brain health. The old saying, “Sleep on it; you’ll feel better in the morning,” has a lot of truth to it when it comes to anxiety of unexplained origin.
If the feeling of unexplained anxiety is frequent, persistent, or highly troubling, don’t hesitate to seek professional therapy. If you find yourself struggling to focus and remain present with the people and activities around you, or you are losing sleep and work productivity, reach out. There is help and hope available. You do not have to suffer alone.
- Nutsford, Daniel, Amber L. Pearson, and Simon Kingham. “An ecological study investigating the association between access to urban green space and mental health.” Public health 127.11 (2013): 1005-1011. ↩︎
- Reece, Rebecca, et al. “Exposure to green space and prevention of anxiety and depression among young people in urban settings: A global scoping review.” Journal of Public Mental Health 20.2 (2021): 94-104. ↩︎