Daily Self-Care Practices for Alleviating Anxiety
For the past 20 minutes, you have
been sitting at your desk, a blank computer screen staring back at you. The
cursor at the top of your open Word document flashes rhythmically. Thump…
thump… thump.
You become aware of your
heartbeat and notice it steadily increasing. You feel it
becoming stronger and you feel it in your stomach, traveling upward into
your chest. Your palms are sweating.
You take your hands off your desk
and try to dry them by rubbing them along the top of your thighs–a temporary
relief. You begin to set them back down, only this time you try to steady your
shaking hands by firmly gripping the edge of your desk.
The thumping increases in
speed. You are feeling the overwhelm of your racing heart in your
chest now—as if it’s trying to plunge forward out of your body.
“What’s wrong with me?” you think
to yourself. As you try to reason with yourself, you remember you didn’t
sleep well last night. Then again, you can’t remember the last time you
slept well at all. The thought of this makes you immediately feel
nauseated. You’ve been feeling nauseous often.
“Why is this happening to me?”
you ask yourself again. “Why can’t I get this under control?”
If you have not already figured
it out—you are experiencing some, if not many, of the symptoms of anxiety.
Let’s focus on that last thought
you had—“why can’t I get this under control?”
Control has both everything and
yet nothing to do with anxiety.
Let me explain.
What Happens to Your Bodies When
You Experience Anxiety?
Anxiety only occurs in situations perceived as uncontrollable or
inevitable, but which are not actually so. Fear, on the other hand, is an
appropriate emotional and physical response to a noticed threat or danger.
You must be asking yourself, does
this mean that I can control my fears but I cannot control my anxieties?
The answer is—yes—and no.
When you experience anxiety, your
body responds by going into what is called “fight-or-flight” mode. When you’re
in this mode, you’re having a psychological reaction to a future event
that you feel may be harmful to yourself. This psychological reaction is
known as the threat–you feel unsafe. Once your brain identifies this threat,
it processes signals—beginning in the brain, specifically, the amygdala
and then the hypothalamus.
Next, a cascade of hormonal
reactions occur. Your pituitary gland secretes the ACTH hormone, followed by
the release of two primary stress hormones: cortisol and adrenaline. This can
trigger the physical effects of anxiety, such as increased heart rate, bladder
relaxation, tunnel vision, shaking, dilated pupils, flushed face, dry
mouth, slowed digestion, and hearing loss.
All of these symptoms cause you
to feel uncomfortable and, ultimately, affect your ability to manage your
everyday lives—work, family, relationships, emotions, and ordinary, daily
activities.
How Do You Manage Anxiety?
The most common remedy to the
physical symptoms of anxiety is to take prescription medication.
Pharmaceuticals usually have a tranquilizing effect. And while they often help
(at least, to a certain degree) relieve your physical symptoms, pharmaceutical
drugs do not prevent your fixed habit of mind which causes you to respond with
anxiety in the first place.
And when you only treat the
symptom(s), you fail to address the root cause of anxiety.
Alleviating Anxiety Naturally
This is why it is also important
to practice natural forms of stress relief, alongside other treatments. Your
mind-body system cannot adapt to anxiety, and so you need to practice forms
of self-care into order to find relief and bring more mindfulness
into the present moment.
There are self-care tools you can
use to help you become more in tune with your body’s biological responses. For
example, if the body becomes aware that you are feeling unsafe, there are ways
of slowing it down before it goes into the mind and triggers physical
symptoms.
Here are a few ways to practice
self-care each day, which will help reduce and prevent symptoms of anxiety.
1. Physical Activity
The first tool you can use to
alleviate anxiety is physical activity. Robust physical activity helps you flush anxiety out
of your system. For example, yoga asanas, or postures, can train your brain to
relax because they help you form a conscious connection between your breath and
your bodies—which can quickly relieve anxious thoughts.
Getting a great deal of exercise
and fresh air by going for walks in nature can also help you develop a
deep appreciation for beauty and peacefulness and ground your mental
energies.
2. Breathing Exercises
The second tool recommended for
relief of anxiety is breathing exercises. In Sanskrit, breathing
exercises are known as pranayama, which means “control of
breath.” Pranayama is the life-force associated to your breath and plays an
important role in connecting your mind and body and facilitating the experience
of silent awareness.
Practicing 5 to 10 minutes of alternate nostril breathing before you
meditate will help you detach from the primitive areas of your brain,
which is where you fixate on anxious thoughts. This leads me to the next
self-care tool.
3. Meditation
Meditation is a self-care tool
that you should practice, regardless of the degree you do or do not
experience anxiety. When you meditate, you quiet your overanxious mind and
focus on the silence that exists between every mental action.
Meditation helps you realize that you
are greater than your thoughts and feelings. When you detach in this way
and become more mindful, your brain forges new pathways
and experiences without anxious thoughts.
4. A Healthy Diet
Diet also comes into play when
looking for relief from anxiety. Your stomach contains more neurons than your
brain does; meaning, whatever it is you decide to put in your stomach will have
a direct impact on your conscious mind.
Natural organic foods and the
removal of additives and refined sugar balances your metabolism. Removing
alcohol from your diet will also greatly contribute to relieving
anxious thoughts. Unfortunately, today’s society encourages us to consume
alcohol in order to enjoy a happier life.
In the modern world, where
pervasive social media creates constant pressure to
communicate with others, you must find the time to connect your mind and body
in order to find some space where pressures and anxieties do not exist.
Allow yourself time in your daily
schedule to do this—give yourself permission. When your body recognizes you’re
in a safe place, it may communicate more clearly and answer the question: “What
do I need to resolve this anxiety?”
We’re all unique and have
different requirements on our path to healing. You may want to work
with trained professionals to address and integrate experiences when
you first felt fear, so the waves do not continue to come toward you in
the form of anxiety. You may also need to further develop your support
network so your body and mind feel supported. You are not alone. Sadly, we are
all familiar anxiety to some varying degree, but we also should know that we
all can heal from it and deserve to do so.
*Editor’s Note: The information in this article
is intended for your educational use only; does not necessarily reflect the
opinions of the Chopra Center's Mind-Body Medical Group; and is not a substitute
for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the
advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions
you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet,
supplement, fitness, or other health program.
from: http://www.chopra.com/
