When life gets frantic and we feel anxiety creeping in, it can paralyse us and make even the simplest decisions reeeeeeeeeeally hard! We can feel this anxiety in the body, our shoulders get tense, our breathing turns shallow and we just want to get this thing SORTED RIGHT NOW GODDAMMIT! Here are my top strategies for instant anxiety reduction. Bam!
1. Know you always have a choice. There is nothing you HAVE to do other than breathe, everything after that is a choice. They may be hard choices granted but you have choice nevertheless. I try to be grateful that I am living somewhere in the world where as a woman I have complete control and choice in my life, not everyone is so lucky.
2. Hit pause. Breathe. Stop and Breathe. Breath through your nose only, breathe right down to your belly for a count of 4, then out through the nose for a count of 4. Repeat for 6 full breaths and then refocus on the task at hand from a calmer place.
3. Is it a problem or a fact that’s making you anxious? If it’s a problem then there IS a solution, take your time, step back and Figure. It Out. If there is no solution, well, then it’s not a problem that you have honey, it is a fact. So accept it, however tough it make be, and move on. Focus where you can make a difference not where you can’t.
4. Walk away. If a solution isn’t really presenting itself then walk away and engage in a right brain activity. Painting, exercise, baking. Your subconscious will then have the space it needs to help you come up with an anxiety reducing solution. The time I need yoga, space, a walk most is EXACTLY when I think I don’t have time for it. So be brave and go for the counter-intuitive option and take the space you need to decompress and gain perspective back.
5. When anxiety strikes repeat the following mantra to yourself, as you breath in, and again as you breathe out. Nice and slow. 6 full breaths. “ I have everything I need, and all is well”. Now doesn’t that feel better?
6. Ask yourself “Will this thing matter 10 years from now?” The answer 99% of the time is “Hell No”, so choose not to sweat the small stuff.
Ahhhhhh….now doesn’t that feel better? Tell me how these strategies work for you, and your top tips for dealing with anxiety.
