Anxiety is something many of us are familiar with and when it takes over it can be difficult to get back to a state of calm. However, this article is going to provide you with a few tips and tricks to help ease your mind and restore a restful feeling when the anxiety sets in. Whether we’re sat at our desks at school, in an office or working from home, I’m sure many of us can relate to being sucked into the ‘what if’ spiral. What if I can’t meet this deadline? What if I don’t get the grades I need? What if I missed something in that report? And the list goes on. It’s easy to let the panic take over; the once clear head is now filled with anxiety ridden thoughts impacting how you view any tasks left to complete. But worry not, here are four simple ways to quickly reduce your anxiety symptoms and bring your body back to a state of calm:
1. Breathe
It sounds simple but so many of us forget to take those slow long breaths when panic starts to increase. As a result, we fall further into a state of distress, our hearts beat rapidly and our breathing becomes shallower and shallower. So, next time you start to feel the panic rise remember the 4-7-8 breathing method. This method involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding your breath for 7 seconds, followed by a slow breath out for 8 seconds. This is an easy, discreet breathing technique to do for a few minutes to regulate your breathing and slowly return your body to a state of calm.
2. Take a break
In moments of stress, you’re more likely to pile pressure onto yourself to work faster to complete all your tasks as soon as possible, reducing time for yourself. However, pausing, even briefly can be very productive. An article on the Calm website explores the benefits of ‘micro breaks’ to help avoid the effects of burnout, allowing yourself those little moments to recalibrate. When the overwhelm starts to take over, shut your laptop screen, imagine that as shutting off the stream of anxious thoughts, and walk away. Whatever you choose to do it’s better than remaining in the mindset of ‘what if.’ Additionally, the article highlights how your physical health will benefit by getting regular bursts of movement throughout the work day.
3. Write it down
When stuck in a negative cycle, our minds will remind us of all the possible looming problems or issues we may face, regardless of how big or small they are, whether realistic or not. Your mind may feel like a roundabout with all exits blocked off and these thoughts have no place to go. And so, an exit must be created for them, which comes about with a shift in mindset. This can be done by writing your thoughts down, by giving them a place to go – providing a little alleviation from the stressor(s). An article on Very Well Mind highlights how journaling can physically help your body get out of its ‘flight or fight mode.’ As a result, returning you to a calmer state and clearer mind. At the end of the day, you can go back to that journal, post it to whatever writing medium you choose and review the thoughts, many of which may no longer seem as daunting.
4. Talk it out
I know this one can be hard to do. Talking to someone about how you’re feeling makes you vulnerable, something we’re all afraid of. However, it’s highly likely that there are other individuals experiencing similar emotions to you, and you can seek comfort in knowing you’re not alone, which can otherwise be very isolating. Perhaps there’s that one colleague you always go for lunch with, or someone completely outside of your work setting that you could open up to and talk about what’s making you feel overwhelmed. It’s quite likely that the person you’re talking to has experienced similar feelings. This also creates another exit for those anxious thoughts to flow right out of your head. Like journaling, it’s a way of expressing how you feel versus bottling it up and allowing the pressure to build. Additionally, voicing your stresses gives them less power as you realise there is always a solution to the issue.
To wrap up, when anxiety hits and the overwhelm starts to set in, going slower by breathing and stepping away is more productive than trying to speed up, resulting in you burning yourself out. It’s also important to create those exit routes for the negative thoughts to escape, and make room for the ones reminding you that you can do it!
