Written by: Catherine Cabrera, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
As of March 2023, it was found that nearly half of adults between the ages of 18-24, and a third of all participants, reported experiencing anxiety symptoms. This is a 25% increase in the past year, according to Forbes, making it more important than ever to learn effective and easy-to-use strategies for managing anxiety.
First of all, how do I know it’s anxiety?
While anxiety is more talked about in modern society, there are still a great deal of individuals who may not know what it is, or realize that they’ve actually experienced it before! Anxiety is defined as: “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome”
Anxiety can come with a variety of physical and emotional symptoms, including muscle tension, irritability, lower emotional tolerance for stress, high blood pressure, nausea, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, uncontrollable worry, etc. For more details about how anxiety may show up, visit the World Health Organization’s (WHO) anxiety fact sheet.
Three strategies to naturally calm anxiety
Stretching & muscle relaxation
When anxiety strikes, it’s natural for your body to hold tension – in your jaw, shoulders, neck, back – literally anywhere! Over time, the anxiety and tension feed into each other because how can you possibly relax if your body is overwhelmed with muscle tightness?
With that in mind, as simple as it sounds, stretching and practicing muscle relaxation techniques can go a long way! If you’re needing or wanting some guidance, here are two videos my clients have found helpful:
Muscle relaxation can naturally occur through stretching; however, sometimes we’re not able to just get on the floor and start stretching! One of my personal favorites can be done in the seat you’re in right now – perfect, right?! Although, if you’re on the couch or in bed, I suggest sitting in a chair. Let me walk you through it:
First, you’re going to sit up straight – slouching will reduce the efficacy of this one. Next, take your hands and grab the edges of the chair. Now, you’re going to squeeze the edges of the chair as hard as you can for 5-10 seconds. If you’d like to practice box breathing while you do this, here is a visual you can use.
Now, you’re going to slowly, and I mean slowly, release the tension. In doing this, your muscles will gradually release the energy used in the exercise, but also the tension you’ve been holding in your body from anxiety. If your muscle tension is located elsewhere, you can do the same thing with other parts of your body – focus on the muscle and flex, hold it for a few seconds, and release it.
R.A.I.N Strategy
No, I’m not talking about standing in the rain – although, if that makes you happy, I won’t judge. RAIN is an acronym that focuses on emotion regulation and mindfulness, which is at the core of managing anxiety, especially when in a heightened state of anxiety. Let me explain:
R - recognize your experience
A - allow it to be as it is
I - investigate with curiosity, not judgment
N - nurture it with self-compassion
I’ll admit, this takes practice, as I realize anxiety often brings up feelings of frustration and overwhelm, both completely natural responses. However, these feelings can also make it more likely for you to become worried and anxious about the anxiety itself, and let’s be real, that’s just not helpful!
So, first you want to recognize the thought, emotion, and/or experience you’re having. You’re not assigning judgment or meaning to it – simply acknowledge it. Now, let that be. You don’t have to change it – it’s there and it’s there for a reason, so let it be present with you. Once you’ve given it some space, begin your investigation. This does not mean you’re interrogating it! Treat it like you would your best friend or a child. Be curious about it and see where it leads you. Finally, nurture the feelings that come up for you. Practice patience, empathy, love – all the things you naturally give to others, I challenge you to give yourself.
It’s important to note that this is best practiced with low to medium levels of anxiety – if you find yourself experiencing a higher level of anxiety, I suggest utilizing somatic and relaxation techniques to calm your nervous system first.
Focus on ‘what is’ rather than ‘what if’
Your anxiety is often rooted in the ‘what ifs’ – whether it’s about the future, current situations, or implication of past experiences. These can lead you down a rabbit hole of potential scenarios that may or may not ever happen, causing you to disconnect from reality.
With that in mind, it’s important for you to reconnect yourself with reality – the moment you’re in right now! You can do this by identifying “what is”. Where are you? What do you physically feel? What can you see around you? Focus, and I mean really focus on these. Anxious thoughts will creep in, and that’s okay, but try to refocus your mind to the present moment.
This process helps you reconnect with the present reality. Over time, the anxious feelings will gradually dissipate and your body will begin to regulate.
Bonus: Anxiety first aid kit
When you get a cut, you probably go to get a bandage from some variation of a first-aid kit, no? Well, I believe it’s just as important to have a mental health first aid kit too! In this case, it will be catered to anxiety, so here are a few things to consider:
Somatic stimulation
Hobbies
Self-expression
Relaxation
Somatic stimulation involves the stimulation of your senses. This can include aromatics (lotion, sprays, scented hand sanitizers, essential oils), taste (lemon juice, hot sauce, sour candy, cold water etc.), sounds (classical music, variations of white noise, nature sounds, etc.), touch (soft blanket, fuzzy socks, weighted blanket), and visuals (pictures of memories that make you feel good, guided imagery, observing nature). All of these can have a positive impact on your central nervous system and help you regulate your emotions if you’re in a heightened state. They also don’t require additional thought, which is always a plus!
Your hobbies can play a major role in managing anxiety too. Think of one of your favorite things to do – something you can get lost in for an extended period of time, like a book, video games, or drawing. Because it’s something you enjoy, your mind can focus on it enough to slow down the anxiety spiral and gradually calm your nervous system. This is typically more helpful for medium or low levels of anxiety, as higher levels may not allow for enough mental energy to engage in an activity. If this is the case for you, I’d suggest utilizing somatic or relaxation techniques first, to help your body regulate enough to benefit more from hobbies and self-expression.
Self-expression is fairly self-explanatory and can be tailored to how you naturally communicate. You can journal or practice a stream of consciousness (writing your thoughts as they happen – no grammar or spell checks, just free flow writing), drawing, painting, dancing, playing an instrument – anything that allows you to express yourself freely.
Relaxation is one of the hardest things for people with anxiety, but it’s worth practicing! This could be the muscle relaxation mentioned earlier, guided meditations, yoga, taking a bubble bath, etc. Anything that allows you to sit with yourself and take care of yourself in the process. For many, relaxation is built into the other techniques above, so you may not need specific items for this in your kit.
Now, taking these into consideration, it’s time to build your kit! You can put them in a basket, bag, whatever floats your boat, but make sure you keep it somewhere that’s accessible and safe for you. You can also make to-go kits for work, your car, etc. so you don’t have to think about taking it with you – think travel size kits!
Conclusion
Anxiety is a pain in the butt – I hear you and I’ve been there too. But, working with it and allowing it the space it needs – the space YOU need – to pass, the less it will impact you when it does show itself. To do that, it’s important to practice mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills, all of which can be integrated into effective coping strategies. I’ll admit, not all coping strategies will be effective for everyone, but that’s where individuality and tailoring your approach comes in handy. You are not controlled by your anxiety – you DO have the power to manage it and live a fulfilling and happy life!
Catherine Cabrera, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Catherine Cabrera is a therapist who specializes in treating anxiety, eating disorders, obsessive thinking, and related mental health challenges. After years of living with anxiety and feeling like there was no hope for change, Cabrera explored the underlying purpose of emotions and their interaction with thoughts and behaviors. She has since been passionate about helping others better understand their emotions and use compassion to build a more positive relationship with their thoughts and feelings. She is the owner and founder of Inner Strength Counseling, providing professional mental health care in Virginia.
