I’ve had many messages from anxious readers recently saying that they are having trouble coping at the moment. Having suffered from anxiety for years, I have learnt many different techniques to help calm down when you are experiencing panic and racing thoughts and I want to share them with you, hopefully if it will help others too. (Find tips to help an anxious child in this post.)
1. Go For A Walk Or Run
Go for a brisk walk or even better a run. Getting yourself outside of your situation and house can really help you get a clear mind and help you get over the anxiety and panic you are feeling.
As you leave the house, start to focus on other things such as people walking past, name pets you see in windows or on the street. Taking the focus off what you are currently thinking about and panicked about will help you calm down and be able to feel more stable.
Walking or running is a great way of getting fresh air into your lungs and getting a clear mind set. Whether you choose to walk alone or with someone else, get out and spend time in a new enviroment. Bringing yourself out of the enviroment that was making you feel anxious is a great way of being able to move forward and reset.
2. Get Some Form Of Exercise
If walking or running outside isn’t what your comfortable with look at getting some form of exercise. You can find work outs on Youtube or other platforms that can help you work through your anxiety and help clea ryour mind.
As you are focussed on the work out and doing the moves and stretches this re-sets your mind into that mode and exercise is good for your mind and body. Once you have finished your work out you should feel better and be in a better space to tackle the rest of your day.
Exercise is one of the best things to calm you as it helps to use up the adrenaline produced during fight or flight mode, a state a lot of anxious people quite a lot of time in.
3. Spend Time Away From The Hustle & Bustle
Some things that really don’t help with our anxiety and sense of panic is being smothered and the feeling of being enclosed. It can often feel like the walls are closing in and your breathing gets harsher and harsher. A great way to tackle this feeling is to get out and surround yourself with nature.
There is something very calming about being in a wood, or by the sea, even spending time in your local park looking at the trees and flowers and breathing fresh air can help. If you can’t get out, maybe plant some seedlings and watch them grow.
As nature is very peaceful and tranquil this can really help reset your mind set and zen of your body, whether you choose to go for a walk, run or even just find a nice bench to sit and enjoy the surroundings. Places such as woodlands, open parks and spaces, reservoirs and dams are great places to go as they are often very open and so you can feel very much as peace and in your own space.
4. Listen To Meditation Lessons
Meditation has been proven to help us mentally and so it is a great way of not just calming you down but also help you get set on the right path for your day. If you are someone who feels they need this daily to help them feel ready to take on the day or to help you mentally, take some time each morning to sit and meditate.
Download a mindfulness app or listen to a guided meditation, there are many online and also on YouTube, for adults and kids. I find it very hard to do it by myself but having someone talk me through it can really help.
5. Find A Series Or Film To Watch
Watch a new series or film. Sometimes all it takes is to distract your thoughts for half an hour or so to ‘reset’ that panicked thinking. Also start a book, although when I’m very anxious, I find it hard to focus.
If you have a certain film or series or even book that you really enjoy and find very soothing you could dig into an episode or episode to help re-set your mind.
Alternatively if you are too anxious to read or watch, think about listening to a podcast. These can be great as you can sit back, close your eyes and focus on the podcast.
6. Listen To Music
Put some music on that you love and dance until you are exhausted. Also singing really helps, and playing an instrument if you can.
Alternatively, you can find compilation music on Spotify and Youtube which is soothing and soft, this can help you relax and feel more at ease. You can play this through headphones or on your device aloud to help calm your mind and lay down or sit somewhere comfortable where you can really sink into the music and let your body fully relax.
7. Find Some Mentally Cleansing Task To Do
Some people find tidying and ticking off small jobs helpful when they are feeling anxious, these can be small wins that help you produce the good feelings inside and helps you build back up to your full self, and even to get that task done that made you feel anxious in the first place.
Cleaning a space in your enviroment can be extremely helpful to someone who is anxious as it is often said a clean and tidy environment can help create a clearer mind. Cleaning anything or anywhere is great for changing the atmosphere of your space and this can help you feel like you can start again with a fresh state.
Find some menial tasks to complete around the house, rearrange the kitchen cupboards, clear out the ‘clutter drawer’ (everyone has one surely!), pair all the lone socks, do any ironing you have, organise the garage, weed the garden, alphabetise your bookshelf. Generally, any job that will keep you busy and give you a sense of satisfaction after.
8. Relax With A Pet
Most of us have a companion at home whether it is a bird, guinnea pig, cat or dog. Pets make great comfort companions and often help us calm down and feel better without having to do anything but sit with you.
If you start to feel anxious, down or panicked about a situation you it is a good idea to go sit with your pet, go for a walk with your dog or just spend some time on your furry companion. As you start to focus more on your pet and playing with them or just talking to them you will slowly relinquish focus on the thing that was causing you to panic and feel anxious.
Stroke a furry pet if you have one. Stroking animals is proven to lower blood pressure and be calming if you feel anxious.
9. Take Up Yoga
Yoga is much like meditation but is a form of exercise as it builds up muscle strength and flexibility in your body. It is a good form of exercise and a great way to clear your mind, as Yoga uses breathing techniques through the exercises it is a great way of forcing your body to slow down and restart.
You can create your own schedule to do every other day, every day or even just a number of times a week.
There are lots of free videos and tutorials online. Like the ones on this website.
10. Speak To A Friend Or Loved One
Something we as people often find the best way of being able to process a situation or working through a tough time is to talk to someone. Whether this is a friend, loved one or professional it can be beneficial to talk to someone so you can have someone to help your process what is going on, what is making your anxious and how to work through it and go forward.
Hearing about someone elses day, good news or views over the situation can be really helpful as this can also bring the focus away from yourself and the negitive feelings towards something more positive.
11. Change What You Are Doing
Change the task you are currently doing if it is making you anxious or feel panicked, change what you are doing. This can help you restart your mind and bring a more positive feeling to your day.
Spend time researching a dream holiday. Look at pictures, videos, plan routes, check out bus times. Anything to keep your mind occupied. And you never know, it might come in handy one day!
12. Play A Game
Playing a game no matter what it is, how small or detailed it is can help you really work through your thorughts but bringing the main focus onto the game. Games, epsecially problem solving games are great for keeping our mind busy and helping our mind learn more about problem solving and how to work through a problem instead of giving up on the first hurdle.
You can also find games that are physical, on your phone or computer or even on a tablet or games console. You can find a number of different style games which are action, problem solving, fun creative games and more which each have their own benefits.
13. Do Something Creative
A great way of calming your mind and having a continuous calming influence on your life can be made by being creative. Creative people can benefit a lot from finding a craft or hobby which they can take part in every day or a couple of times a week to give them some time to themselves.
This can be making something, sewing, knitting, crochet, writing or journalling which can be very soothing as you can document your feelings, what you achieved and what you are thankful for.
Start to learn a language. There are lots of language learning apps and websites out there.
14. Create Self Help Notes
There are plenty of self help notes, pages and pictures which are there to help you feel more empowered and give you a good start to the day. You can create these by finding them on Instagram, follow people on Facebook or Pinterest or even Youtube.
The best way to prevent anxiety and panic is to have a system in place to enable you to feel good about your day and be able to soothe you through the tougher parts.
You can create an album on your phone of motivational quotes or images that can help you create a calm atmosphere.
Be kind to yourself. Make your inner voice kind and calm and reassuring.
Recent Comments