Exercises for anxiety

Anxiety is a typical human reaction to stress. Extreme anxiety can get in the way of living a healthy, happy life. If you feel stuck with anxiety, try one or a few relaxation techniques to find relief. Few of them are:

1. Relax by breathing

When feeling anxious, your heart rate increases rapidly.

Try  following these steps to get your breathing under control:

• Sit in a quiet and comfortable place. Keep one of your hands on your chest and the other on your stomach. Your stomach should move more in comparison to the chest when you breathe in deeply.

• Breath regularly through your nose. See and sense your hands as you breathe in.

• Try breathing out through your mouth gradually.

• Repeat this technique at least 10 times.

2. Visualize

When you experience anxiety, sit in a quiet place. Think of your ideal place to relax. It can be any location, it should be an image that you find very calming, happy, peaceful, and safe. Ensure it’s easy enough to visualize it again when you feel anxious in the future.

Think about how the location would smell, feel, and sound. Imagine yourself in that location, enjoying it at the utmost.

3. Relax your muscles

When experiencing anxiety, you may notice strain or tension in your muscles. This muscle stress can make your anxiety worse. 

A quick way to relieve your muscle tension during moments of anxiety is :

• Settle yourself in a quiet place. Shut your eyes and observe your breathing patterns.

• Use your hand to create a tight fist. Squeeze your fist tightly for a few seconds.

• Observe all the tension you feel in your hand.

• Release your fist and be aware of how you feel.  Gradually your hand will feel lighter and more relaxed.

• Continue tensing and releasing various muscle groups in your body, from your hands, legs, shoulders, or feet but avoid tensing the muscles in areas where you feel excruciating pain as that may further aggravate your injury.

4. Relax by counting

Counting is the easiest way to reduce your anxiety.  Shut your eyes and slowly count to 10. If required repeat and count to 20 or an even higher denomination. Keep counting until you feel your anxiety reducing.

Sometimes this relief occurs quickly, but at times it might take a while. Stay calm and patient. Counting relaxes you because it gives you something to focus on besides your anxiety.

5. Relax by staying present

Mindfulness is the practice of staying present in your current state and surroundings, gently and without judgment.

Bring yourself into the present:

• Observe how your breathing and body feel.

• Divert your awareness of the sensations you observe in your surroundings.  See what you hear, smell, and feel in your environment.

• Change your focus several times from your body to your environment and back again until your anxiety starts to fade.

6. Relax by interrupting your anxious thinking

 Break your anxious thought cycle by following this:

• Ask yourself if endless worry is a problem for you.

Different ways of distracting yourself from your anxious thought process are:

• To Focus on good thoughts instead of your anxiety.

• Listen to songs or read a book.