Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety

7 Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety: Controlling the Mind and Body

There are various relaxation techniques for anxiety. However, not all of them may work for everyone. Basically, these techniques vary from one person to another. For people who feel tensed and worried, listening to jazz music gives them peace of mind. For some, watching TV is the best way to forget about the bad thoughts. Other people who feel anxious opt to breathe in and out a couple of times to relieve the intense emotions.

The key in driving anxiety away is relaxation. There are actually two categories of relaxation techniques for anxiety. These are the mind and the body techniques. People who experience anxiety or panic attacks find it hard to relax. Because of the sudden adrenaline rush, the heart starts to palpitate very fast that it becomes greatly difficult for these people to manage their reflexes as well as their emotions. When the body is in a state of panic, one might find it hard to breathe and may experience weird symptoms like chest pain, headache, queasiness, and upset stomach.

If you feel anxious more often, you must not take it lightly. You may be suffering from anxiety disorder already. As early as today, you should start learning how to control your anxiety. Here are some of the most popular relaxation techniques for anxiety that you can try to lessen the unwanted feelings that this condition brings.

· Make your environment more conducive
When your room is full of clutter, you will not want to stay there for so long. You may not be consciously aware of it but as you notice, there are some places where you find more relaxing than the others. If you will make your room more pleasant-looking, it can make a great difference on your mood and state of mind. Tidy up your room; add some flowers or air-fresheners. Put a beautiful figurine on your desk or put a picture frame that reminds you of the most important person or people in your life.

· Practice the breathing technique
Breathing is one of the most helpful relaxation techniques for anxiety. When you’re anxious, your muscles are tensed and your heart abnormally beats. By taking a deep breath in the middle of a stressful situation, you are allowing your body to calm down and avoid panic attacks. The breathing technique for anxiety involves repeated deep breathing through the nose. Focus on filling the lower lobes of your lungs. Then, instead of exhaling through your nose, let the air blow out from your mouth. When you feel like you’re going to break in panic, do this technique for several times until you feel your emotions subside. During panic attacks, allow yourself to breathe in properly and slowly. Count one to three before taking your next deep breath to prevent yourself from hyperventilating. You can even make this a daily habit. Deep breathing, as one of the easiest relaxation techniques for anxiety, has a lot of health benefits other than alleviating anxiety symptoms.

· Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
The EFT is composed of a series of taps on the energy meridians that are located on the face and all through the body. For natural health experts, anxiety is an energy that has been trapped inside the body and has nowhere to go. Through the EFT, this trapped energy is released, allowing the person to relax. EFT relaxation techniques for anxiety can be done through acupressure and acupuncture. But it can also be done without the help of a therapist. You must learn how to identify the pressure points though.

· Meditation
Next to deep breathing, meditation is one of the most well-known relaxation techniques for anxiety. Meditation is the art of controlling the mind. While meditation is not a primary therapy for anxiety-related problems, it is becoming a very popular method of treating anxiety disorder. This technique helps you handle stressful situations properly, preventing anxiety attacks to take place.

· Progressive Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety
The progressive relaxation techniques involve the process of tensing and relaxing the muscles. According to experts, the said technique lies on the principle that the mind follows the body. This technique allows you to easily determine the initial symptom of anxiety attack which is muscle tension.

· Autogenic Training
The autogenic training was developed in 1930 by Johannes Schultz, a German psychiatrist. It involves comprehensive relaxation techniques – 6 standard exercises that are designed to keep the body relaxed, warm, and heavy. The autogenic relaxation techniques for anxiety include visual imagery and it only takes about 5 to 10 minutes to be completed. This technique can be done under the supervision of a professional practitioner or through audio and video tapes.

· Cognitive Behavior Therapy Technique
This technique revolves on the idea that everything is a state of mind. If you allow negative thoughts to rule your mind, the anxiety and fear are more likely to be present in your actions as well. The cognitive behavioral relaxation techniques for anxiety include diverting the bad thoughts to something positive. For instance, if you are anxious about something, you can imagine going to your dream place or attending a party – anything that will instantly give you a ‘happy’ feeling.

Learning how to control your mind and your body is the best way to deal with anxiety problems. These 7 relaxation techniques for anxiety have long-term effects on your health and will certainly help you live a normal and less stressful life.

anxietynomore.co.uk, bbc.co.uk