Anxiety is a complex mental health issue that affects a vast population of people worldwide — both individuals that suffer from anxiety disorders and those that don’t. In fact, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the US, affecting over 40 million people, or 19.1% of the population.
Despite the prevalence of anxiety disorders, like many mental health conditions, they are still not talked about much due to the stigma that exists around mental health issues. This can mean that people who have anxiety may not have the education or understanding to recognize it within themselves, or the tools to know how to handle it when it does come on. As anyone studying an online MSN FNP program would know, anxiety can affect anyone from young children to older adults, and it does not discriminate based on any circumstances — anybody can suffer from anxiety.
Some level of anxiety is normal, such as when dealing with a particularly stressful period of time or when faced with potential danger. It’s when anxiety starts to become regular, or take over other parts of your life, that it might be time to consider if you have an anxiety disorder.
If you are worried about your anxiety levels, the first and most important thing you should do is contact a mental health professional who can assist you in diagnosis and treatment. However, during times when you are feeling anxious, there are some tactics you can employ to help soothe yourself.
Focused Breathing
One of the most common symptoms of heightened anxiety is shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, so using focused breathing techniques is an important method of self-soothing for many.
Focus on exhaling more slowly than you inhale, and try techniques such as the 3-4-5 breathing technique. To do this, simply breathe in for three counts, hold your breath for four, and breathe out for five. You will likely find that this helps to regulate your breathing when you are struggling to catch your breath, and will help you return to a state of “normalcy” quicker during an event like an anxiety or panic attack.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a fantastic mental health tool in general, but it’s especially helpful for soothing symptoms of anxiety. Mindfulness is quite a broad term that describes any activity that gets someone into a mental state where they are able to focus entirely on the present, focusing on calmness and taking note of their thoughts, emotions, and physical environment.
You can practice mindfulness in many ways and different people will find different methods work better for them. For some, straightforward meditation, either self-guided or with the help of video or audio tutorials, is ideal. For others, activities like journaling and undertaking gratitude exercises are better.
Regular practice of mindfulness activities can help increase overall mental health outcomes, and mindfulness used during peaks in anxiety can be great at helping to self-soothe and get through those difficult moments.
Grounding Exercises
Sometimes trying to control breathing or anxiety induced thoughts while feeling intense anxiety or panic can be incredibly difficult. Grounding exercises can be a good alternative in these instances, as they offer a practical way to pull your focus away from whatever is causing your anxiety, and help regulate your symptoms. They help to calm the body’s fight-or-flight instincts that can kick in during intense periods of anxiety.
The ‘5, 4, 3, 2, 1’ technique is one of the most popular grounding exercises. It encourages you to focus on your senses in the present moment by asking you to name five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can feel, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
It’s an incredibly simple concept, but that’s what makes it so effective. You can use this technique pretty much anywhere, either by yourself or with others.
Engage With The Things You Love
Play music that makes you feel better, give your pet a cuddle, visualize your favorite place, watch your comfort show — these might sound like simple or even silly suggestions, but sometimes engaging with the things and people you love can be incredibly soothing during times of stress.
Try to focus on the things that bring you joy, and in the same way that you do with mindfulness activities, let them be your sole focus.
Anxiety can be a scary thing — but to some degree, it’s entirely normal and relatively common. It’s important that you speak to a healthcare professional if your anxiety becomes a concern or is in any way impacting your day-to-day life, but if you are just finding yourself in need of calming methods for the odd occasion when you experience heightened anxiety, or tactics to use on top of your formal therapy, you might find these self-soothing techniques useful.