Sometimes when you\’re feeling stressed or anxious, self-talk just doesn\’t work: no matter how hard you try to convince yourself that everything is okay and how good your reasoning is, your heart just doesn\’t get the memo and keeps pounding at a million miles a minute. Here\’s some simple, practical things you can do to prevent an anxious moment turning into a full-blown panic attack, and calm yourself enough to ask somebody for help.
Counting
This simple counting game is a fantastic tool for anyone who needs to get out of the sneaky anxiety spiral in their head, and back to a space where they can clearly and calmly deal with what\’s going on.
List 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.
Heart Focused Breathing™
This technique from the HeartMath Institute has shown fantastic results in people who need to relax and restore their energy.
Focus your attention on your heart area. Breathe a little deeper than normal, in for 5 or 6 seconds and out 5 or 6 seconds. You may find that placing your hand over your heart helps you maintain your focus there.
Now imagine while breathing that you’re doing it through your heart. Picture yourself slowly breathing in and slowly breathing out through your heart area.
Writing
Whether it\’s the notes app on your iPhone or a physical paper and pen, writing down what you\’re feeling can help shift your anxiety from something that\’s building in your head, to something that\’s on the page.
Write down the things that you\’re feeling, how you think the situation is going to go, any thoughts you have. Putting your thoughts and feelings into words and putting those words down might just give you the distance you need to deal with them.