There are many ways to help you manage your anxiety symptoms, whether you feel anxious about doing something or have an anxiety disorder.
If you need to calm down immediately, you can do so by doing some simple exercises.
Some of these strategies may feel difficult the first few times you try them, but with practice, they can provide a quick path to calming down and freeing yourself from feelings of anxiety.
How to calm down quickly?
Something may throw you off, and before long you'll feel like you're stuck in an endless loop of intrusive thoughts, thinking about everything that could go wrong or be a bad outcome. Your body becomes tense, your breathing quickens, and you can hear your heartbeat pounding in your ears.
When you feel anxious like this, it's time to calm down. The first step is to recognize anxiety. It can be helpful to learn to recognize the first signs of anxiety and start working on relaxation immediately before an anxiety attack occurs.
1. Take a deep breath
When you start to feel that familiar feeling of panic, one of the best things you can do is take a deep breath. This may sound simple, but the basics are excellent when it comes to managing anxiety symptoms.
Breathing deeply and slowly is the key to experiencing its full benefits. It's also a good idea to focus your thoughts on your breathing and nothing else.
"When we draw our attention to our breathing and really focus on it, anxiety-causing thoughts begin to become more distant, our heart rate slows down, and we begin to calm down," explains Professor Rong Xinqi, an expert in new concept psychology.
Some people find the "4-7-8" deep breathing method particularly effective:
· Breathe in for 4 seconds.
· Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
· Exhale slowly for 8 seconds.
· Repeat until you feel calm.
2. Say what you feel
When you are going through an anxious episode, you may not realize what is happening until you are really deep in it. And recognizing the nature of your anxiety may help you calm down more quickly.
Tell yourself that this is anxiety, not reality, and that everything will pass. When you are in a state of high anxiety and you want to break the cycle, for some people the "thought stopping" technique is effective and is as simple as saying "stop" to internalized messages that are fueling anxiety.
In other words, understand as much as possible that what you are feeling is anxiety rather than reality, and talk yourself through it.
Embrace the absolute truth and tell yourself, "No matter what, I'm going to get through this."
Talking about your feelings may help you move away from them. Because it's the anxiety, not you, and it won't last forever.
3. Try the “5-4-3-2-1” coping technique
When you are overwhelmed by anxiety, the “5-4-3-2-1” coping technique can help you calm down quickly. The specific steps are as follows:
·"5": Look around you and name five things you see around you. These can be people, objects, spots on the wall or birds flying outside, etc. The key is that you name these five things.
· "4": Next, name four things you can touch. This could be the ground beneath your feet, the chair you sit on, or the hair you run your fingers through, etc.
· "3": Listen quietly, and then confirm the three sounds you can hear. These sounds can be external, such as a fan in your room, or internal, such as your breathing.
· "2": Notice the two odors you can smell. Maybe it’s the perfume you wear or the smell of the greenery around you.
· "1": Pay attention to the taste you can taste in your mouth, which can be the taste of the food you just ate.
This technique will work even better if you pair it with deep breathing techniques.
4. Try the "Archiving" Thinking Exercise
If you can't sleep at night, you may be thinking about things you had to do or didn't do; or, if you are thinking about things that happened during the day, "archiving" techniques can be helpful.
These are the steps to perform this exercise:
· Close your eyes and imagine a table with folders and a filing cabinet on it.
· Imagine yourself picking up each document and writing down the name of an idea that’s running through your head—for example, an argument you had with your spouse, a presentation you have to give at work tomorrow, or your fear of catching the coronavirus.
· Once you have written down your idea, take a moment to identify the idea and its importance to you. Then, file it away.
· Repeat this process for every thought that comes to mind until you start to feel calm (or drowsy).
The idea of this exercise is that you take a moment to name your triggers , check them, and then consciously set them aside and resolve them within a deadline. In other words, you are validating your feelings and making a plan to deal with them one by one when the time is right.
5. Running
"Rapid exercise that increases heart rate helps reduce anxiety," Professor Rong explained.
For example, running quickly around a sports track or road for five minutes can be enough to help you quickly reduce anxiety. Of course, you can run longer if you like.
If running is not your thing, you can try walking briskly for 1 minute, then jogging for 1 minute, until the total reaches 5 minutes. The key is to increase your heart rate through exercise. It's also important not to forget about your breathing. When running, consider paying attention to your breathing patterns.
If you suffer from anxiety, your amygdala is overworked. This information is sent to your amygdala every time you perceive a threat trigger. If you have anxiety, you probably deal with a lot of triggers. Whenever the amygdala senses a threat, it tells the body, creating a fight, flight, or freeze response. This is a natural physiological response that allows you to react to a perceived threat.
If your response to this message is to run, you may be tricking your brain into thinking it's doing something actual to keep you safe. It may then lower your state of alertness and reduce your anxiety in the moment.
6. Think of something funny
Think of your favorite humorous moment. It can be a real situation or a scene you saw in a sitcom, humorous story, joke or cartoon.
If you're having trouble coming up with something humorous right now, try picking out some memories in advance so you can recall them as soon as you start to feel anxious.
Like most mindfulness exercises, humorous visualizations free you from worries about what might happen in the future and allow you to focus on the present situation, the "now."
It also does some other things. "You experience 'laughter,' which is an uplifting response to humor," Professor Jung explains. You'll feel emotions like joy, happiness, or pleasure—all strong emotions that can help you reduce anxiety quickly.
Humorous visualizations are more effective if you can make yourself laugh by remembering that funny moment.
"When you laugh, you contract and expand your muscles, which reduces physical anxiety, stress and tension," Professor Jung said. Laughter also suppresses the production of cortisol levels in the body, he adds.
7. Distract yourself
If nothing seems to pull your attention away from anxious thoughts, it may be time to find a temporary distraction. For example, if you're lying in bed, wide awake, obsessed with what tomorrow will bring, and deep breathing and other techniques aren't working, get up, leave your bedroom, and find something to do in another room.
Focusing on something you really enjoy can break the cycle of your anxious thoughts and give you a sense of relief—at least until you're in a better frame of mind to deal with them.
However, this method of distraction is individual and can range from finding something relaxing, enjoyable or mindless to draw your attention away from your thoughts. For example, some people find that washing the dishes or cleaning the house is a great way to feel active and require some attention, but it keeps them from sitting around idly thinking.
While some people prefer to listen to calming music, watch their favorite TV show or movie (as long as it avoids scary or stressful ones), read, draw or write, etc.
Sometimes, simply petting your cat or drinking a cup of tea can help. Just make sure you choose a low-stress activity to take your mind off the source of your anxiety.
8. Take a Cold Shower
If you're experiencing particularly intense anxiety, some experts or clinicians have a relatively extreme (and unpleasant) method for bringing you back to reality: You can fill a large bowl with cold water, pour some ice cubes into it, and then soak your face in the water for 30 seconds.
Does this method seem extreme? Yes, but it also works.
"This method triggers your mammalian diving reflex," Professor Rong explains. "It tricks your body into thinking you're swimming, so your heart rate slows down and your body calms down."
If you don't want to do something so extreme, you can achieve a similar calming effect by taking a cold shower or going for a swim.
Another effective method is to hold your hands or feet in cold water for a minute or so, and is used by some dialectical behavioral psychotherapists. You can also hold the ice cube until it melts in your hands.
Reduce anxiety through long-term changes
There are steps you can take to improve your overall mental health and reduce stress—which may help reduce anxiety symptoms.
1. Identify Triggers
The best way to do this is to keep a journal and write down times when you feel anxious and what you think causes your anxiety attacks.
Professor Jung says: "Make a list of these things to identify the things you can't control and focus on the things you can control." 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 these questions:
· What makes me anxious about this situation?
·Are they going to judge me?
·Am I judging them?
·Even if they were judging me, how would that affect me?
· Will preparing for this interaction help me feel less anxious? (e.g., what are you going to say or how are you going to say it)
Professor Rong explains: “When individuals make plans, they feel ‘in control’ of perceived future threats, which is a trigger for anxiety.”
2. Set aside time for play Time
You can plan your day ahead of time to allow time for calming or enjoyable activities. This could be taking a 30-minute walk or listening to soft music before bed every night. It could also be making time for meditation, yoga, your favorite hobbies, etc.It can even mean that you make time to “play,” such as playing video games, board games, or team sports.
Professor Dan Rong emphasized that you should not engage in any high-intensity exercise within 2 hours before going to bed.
"Play is also important for adults because it allows your brain to rest," Professor Rong said. "Play can help your brain be more flexible when thinking, which is important because anxiety promotes brain rigidity."
He added: "Play tells your brain and body, 'Things are not that bad. You are safe enough to stop and enjoy life. Your brain and body are listening to you move through life. Movement tells its content, conveying the message that life is worth stopping to enjoy.
3. Keep moving
If you live with anxiety, you may sometimes feel like you don't have the time or energy to go to the gym or get out and exercise.
It is normal to feel this way. However, exercise can go a long way in reducing anxiety. And, you don’t need to exercise a lot to see results!
"For example, if you simply walk for 20 minutes every day, you can see changes over time," Professor Jung said. "This is good for your physical and mental health, providing bilateral stimulation to your brain, giving your brain a chance to go 'offline' and telling your body that it's safe to relax and enjoy the environment."
4. Practice good sleep hygiene
Try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day (including weekends).
A bedtime routine is also important. Consider giving yourself time to relax - for example, step away from electronic devices for 20 minutes before bed and instead read a book or take a bath.
Avoiding potential triggers like watching TV or scrolling through news on your phone is key.
Developing good sleep habits will help you fall asleep faster and reduce the chance of you lying in bed worrying about unfinished tasks or waking up the next morning.
5. Keep humor
Professor Rong said that just like thinking of funny things when you have an anxiety attack, integrating humor into your daily life can help you reduce anxiety and stress.
You can try:
· Use humor-related software;
· Read or watch humorous animations and cartoons;
· Watch sitcoms and funny videos;
· Hang out with people who make you happy;
6. Hang out with friends
"Relationships are important...even for us introverts," Professor Jung said. "Research also tells us that isolation is one of the worst things about anxiety and depression." So consider making some time for friends, family, and other social activities.
"As part of your self-discipline, set aside at least some time each week to immerse yourself in social situations to help you build a good network over time," Stone says.
7. Try psychotherapy
If you often feel anxious, it might be a good idea to consider psychotherapy.
"When a person's work or relationship problems are causing chronic stress, psychotherapy can be an important supportive force in a person's life," Professor Jung said.
A good psychotherapist will be able to help you clarify your thoughts, help you make good choices, establish boundaries, improve communication and practice emotional regulation, and improve your brain's flexibility through various psychotherapy methods.
The type of psychotherapy you choose is entirely up to you. For example, you might consider consulting with some psychotherapists to explore rapport and chemistry.
Some psychotherapeutic approaches you might consider include:
· Hypnotherapy
· Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
· Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
· Internal Family System (IFS)
· Emotional Freedom Therapy (EFT)
· Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
· Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
When to seek help and treatment?
Sometimes anxiety can be overwhelming and it can make you feel very miserable.
This is natural and common, but a psychotherapist can help you find more effective ways to manage these emotions.
If your anxiety is persistent and intrusive, consider seeking professional help. You can also check out our free anxiety quiz to find out your emotional state and whether you're reaching the level of an anxiety disorder.
Reference:
· Meredith GR et al. (2020). The minimum temporal dose of nature's positive impact on college student mental health and how to measure it: A scoping review.
