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Whether you're feeling anxious about doing something or have an anxiety disorder, there are plenty of ways to help you manage your anxiety symptoms.
If you need to calm down quickly, you can do it with some simple method strategies.
Some of these strategies may feel difficult the first few times you try, but with a few exercises, they can help you quickly relieve your anxiety.
So, what are some ways to calm you down "at this moment"? Let's take a look.
There may be something that annoys and anxious you, and then in a short while you'll be stuck in a vicious cycle of endless intrusive thoughts, thinking about every bad thing that might happen – your body starts to tense, your breathing slowly picks up, and you can still hear your heartbeat beating in your ears...
Professor Rong Xinqi, an expert in new concept psychology, said that when you feel anxious like this, it is time to calm yourself down, and the first step you need to do is to become aware of your own intrusive thoughts and anxiety. It is helpful to learn to recognize the first signs of anxiety and start working immediately before symptoms onset.
Here are some ways to calm you down quickly:
1. Take a deep breath
When you start to feel a familiar sense of panic, one of the best things you can do is take a deep breath. It sounds simple, but this simple approach works very well when dealing with anxiety symptoms.
Taking a deep, slow breath is the key to experiencing its full benefits, and it's useful to focus your attention on your breathing as you take a deep breath.
"When we focus our attention on the breath and really focus on it, the thoughts that trigger anxiety start to become more distant, our heart rate becomes normal, and we quickly calm down," Professor Rong said.
Some people find the "4-7-8 breathing method" particularly effective: inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale slowly for 8 seconds. Repeat this process until you feel calm.
2. Say how you feel
When you experience anxious thoughts or emotions, you may not realize what's going on until you're really stuck.
Recognizing the nature of anxiety may help you calm down faster.
Professor Rong believes that anxiety is just your excessive worry and fantasy about what did not happen, not reality, and it will eventually pass. When you're in a state of high anxiety, you want to break the cycle, and for some people, the thought stopping technique is effective as saying "stop" to an inner message that exacerbates anxiety.
In other words, being aware that your feelings are anxiety and speaking out about your feelings can calm you down to a certain extent.
One thing in particular you have to remember is to tell yourself, "Anyway, anxious thoughts are not reality, and I'll get through it." And speaking out about your anxious feelings and thoughts may help you stay away from them." It's anxiety, it's not you, it's not going to last forever.
3. Try the "5-4-3-2-1" coping method
When you're overwhelmed by anxiety, the "5-4-3-2-1" coping method can help you calm down.
Here's how it works:
·“ 5”。 Look around and say 5 things you see around. These can be people, objects, spots on the wall or birds flying outside, etc., the key is to say these 5 things.
·“ 4”。 Next, say 4 things you can touch. This could be the ground under your feet, the chair you sit in, or your hair, and so on.
·“ 3”。 Listen quietly and then say the 3 voices you can hear. These can be external sounds, such as a fan in a room, or internal sounds, such as the sound of your breathing.
·“ 2”。 Pay attention to the 2 flavors you can smell. It can be the smell of perfume on your body, or the smell of aromatherapy in the smoke stove.
·“ 1”。 Pay attention to 1 thing you can taste in your mouth. It can be a lip gloss you apply.
If you combine it with deep and slow breathing, this method will work better.
4. Try the "archive" thinking exercise
If you can't sleep at night, thinking about all the things you have to do or haven't done yet, or if you're reviewing what happened during the day, the "archiving" thinking exercise is helpful.
Here are the steps to perform this exercise:
Close your eyes and imagine a table with folders and filing cabinets on it.
Imagine picking up each folder and writing down the name of an idea that flashes through your mind — for example, your argument with your spouse, a speech you have to do at work tomorrow, or your fear of getting sick.
Once you've written down an idea on a folder, take a moment to acknowledge the idea and how important it is to you. Then, archive (i.e. put it in a filing cabinet).
For every thought that comes to mind, repeat the process until you begin to feel calm (or sleepy).
The idea of this exercise is that you're going to take a moment to name your triggers, examine them, and then consciously put them aside and deal with them after the deadline. In other words, you're validating your feelings and making plans to deal with and address them one by one at a better time.
5. Run
Professor Rong explains: "Rapid exercise that speeds up the heart rate helps reduce anxiety. "For example, a 5-minute run around the neighborhood is enough to help you quickly reduce your anxiety. Of course, if you like, you can run longer.
If you don't like running, you can try brisk walking for 1 minute and then jogging for 1 minute until you reach 5 minutes in total. The key is to increase your heart rate through exercise.
It's also important not to forget your breathing. When you're running, it's best to pay attention to the way you breathe.
If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, your amygdala will "work overtime." Every time you perceive a threat trigger, this message is sent to your amygdala. If you have anxiety, you may be dealing with a lot of triggers. Whenever the amygdala feels threatened, it causes your body to react to fight, flight, or freeze.
It's a natural physiological response that allows you to react to perceived threats. If your reaction to a message is to run, you may trick your brain into thinking it's doing something practical to keep you safe. It may then lower your state of alertness and reduce your anxiety at the moment.
6. Think of something interesting
Imagine your favorite humorous moment, a place that makes you feel happy... These can be real situations or a plot or segment that you see in a movie, story, joke, or anime.
If you're having a hard time coming up with something right now, try picking some memories ahead of time so you can go and find them when you start to feel anxious.
Like most mindfulness training, humorous visualizations free you from having to worry about what might happen in the future and refocus your attention on the current situation, the "now."
It also does a few other things. "You will experience 'joy', which is an uplifting response to humor," Professor Rong explains. You will feel emotions such as joy, joy, or pleasure, all of which can help you reduce anxiety quickly.
Humor visualization is more effective if you can make yourself laugh by remembering that funny moment, he says.
"When you laugh, you contract and expand your muscles, which reduces anxiety, stress and tension in your body," he said. He also added that laughter can also combat cortisol levels in the body.
7. Distract yourself
If nothing seems to divert your attention from anxious thoughts, then maybe it's time to find something temporary to distract yourself.
For example, if you're lying in bed, fully awake, obsessed with worrying about what's going to happen tomorrow, while deep breathing and other methods won't work for you. Well, you can try getting up and leaving the bedroom and going to another room to find something to do to distract yourself.
Focusing on what you really enjoy can break the vicious cycle of anxious thoughts and put you at ease – at least until you have a better mindset to address those thoughts.
However, what this method of distraction is varies from person to person. This approach can be to find something relaxing, pleasurable, or unconscious to pull your attention out of the vortex of anxious thoughts.
For example, some people find that washing dishes or cleaning the house is a great way to distract themselves, which makes them feel active and needs some attention, which will make them no longer just sit there thinking or worrying. Perhaps others prefer to listen to calm music, watch favorite TV shows or movies (to avoid being scared or stressed), read, draw or write.
Sometimes, just petting your pet or drinking a cup of tea can help. Just make sure you choose a low-stress activity to keep your thoughts out of the swamp of anxiety.
8. Take a cold shower or swim
If you're experiencing particularly intense anxiety, some psychiatrists will bring you back to reality in a relatively extreme (and unpleasant) way: You can fill a large bowl with cold water, throw some ice cubes into it, and then pour your face into the water for 30 seconds.
Isn't that extreme? Yes, but it also works.
"This method triggers your mammalian diving reflex," Professor Rong explains. "It will make your body mistakenly think you're swimming, so your heart rate will slow down and your body will become calmer."
If you don't want to do something extreme like this, you can achieve a similar calming effect by taking a cold shower or swimming.
Another effective method, recommended by some psychologists or therapists, is to put your hands or feet in cold water for a minute or so, or you can also hold the ice cube until it melts in your hand.
9. Reduce anxiety through long-term changes
There are steps you can take to improve your overall mental health and reduce stress, and although some of the measures you take are longer, this may help reduce your anxiety symptoms when your anxiety attacks occur.
10. Identify triggers – keep a journal
The best way to identify triggers for anxiety episodes is to keep a journal — write down the time you feel anxious and what you think is causing the anxiety.
"Make a list of these things to identify things that you can't control and focus on things that are within your control," Professor Rong said.
For example, if you know that social interactions with specific people tend to trigger your anxiety, make a note of that. Then, consider focusing on the following questions:
What makes me anxious about this situation?
Are they going to judge me?
Am I judging them?
Even if they're judging me, what effect does that have on me?
Will preparing for this interaction help me reduce my anxiety? (e.g., what are you going to say or how you are going to say it)
"When individuals have a plan, they feel 'in control' of perceived future threats, which is a factor that triggers anxiety," Professor Rong explains.
11. Self-care procedures
Consider taking a self-care routine that gives you time for calm or enjoyable activities.
This can be a 30-minute walk before bedtime or a hot shower every night, which also means you'll want to make time for meditation, yoga, and your favorite hobby activities, whether reading, painting, or listening to soothing music; it can even mean making time for "games," such as playing video games, board games, or team sports.
It is recommended to avoid any high-intensity exercise within 2 hours before bedtime.
"Play is also important for adults because it gives your brain a break," Professor Rong said. "Play can help your brain be more flexible when thinking, which is important because anxiety promotes brain rigidity."
He added: "The game tells your brain and body that 'things are okay, you're safe enough that you can stop and enjoy life', and your brain and body are listening to what you tell it through activity, conveying that 'life is worth stopping and enjoying'." ”
12. Exercise
If you live in anxiety, you may sometimes feel like you don't have the time and energy to go to the gym or go out for a walk.
It's normal to feel this way. However, exercise can go a long way in reducing anxiety. And, you don't need a lot of exercise to start seeing results!
"You just have to walk for 10-20 minutes a day and you can slowly see how you change," Professor Rong said. "It's good for both your body and mind, it provides bilateral stimulation to your brain, gives your brain a chance to 'go offline,' and it tells your body to 'relax and enjoy the environment is safe.'"
13. Develop good sleep habits
Try falling asleep and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends and holidays.
Daily arrangements before bedtime are also important. Consider giving yourself time to relax, for example, 20 minutes away from electronic devices, and instead, you can choose to read a book or take a hot shower.
Avoiding potential triggers is key. For example, watching TV before bed or browsing information on your phone may make you more excited and anxious, delay your sleep time, and increase your anxiety levels.
Developing good sleep habits will help you fall asleep faster and reduce and ease your anxious thoughts and emotions.
14. Humor
During an anxiety attack, you can think of something interesting. Incorporating humor into your daily routine can help you reduce anxiety and stress.
You can refer to these suggestions:
Use humorous funny app APP;
Read or watch funny anime works;
Watch sitcoms and funny videos;
Make friends with humorous people, etc.
15. Hang out with friends
"Relationships are important to everyone, even for us introverts," Professor Rong said. "Research also tells us that isolation and loneliness are one of the worst things for anxious and depressed people."
So consider making time for friends, family, and other social events. Place yourself in social situations at least weekly as part of your self-discipline. Over time, help you build good relationships.
16. Consider psychotherapy
If you're feeling anxious on a regular basis and can't help it yourself, psychotherapy may be a good idea for you.
"When a person's work or relationship situation can bring chronic stress, psychotherapy can be an important supportive part of their lives," Professor Rong said.
"A good psychotherapist or counselor will be able to help you think about your options, establish boundaries, improve communication, practice emotional regulation and management, and promote your brain's flexibility through a variety of psychotherapeutic methods to alleviate your anxiety and stress."
At present, there are many ways and types of psychotherapy, and which type of psychotherapy you choose depends entirely on your own actual situation. For example, you might consider consulting with some psychotherapists or counselors to explore rapport and good chemistry.
Some of the treatments you can consider include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT);
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT);
Psychoanalytic therapy;
Family system therapy;
Emotional Freedom Therapy (EFT);
Systemic desensitization therapy, etc.
Sometimes, anxiety can be overwhelming, and it can cause you to experience great pain. This is normal and common. A psychotherapist or counselor can help you find more effective ways to manage these emotions.
If your anxiety is persistent and invasive, consider seeking help from a professional. You can also check out our free anxiety test and some other psychological tests to see if you have some other symptoms.
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