The Top 5 Strategies to Relieve Anxiety

Somewhere along my journey, I remember hearing that anxiety happens when we try to “get out of our bodies”. That made so much sense to me. It's like there is an experience we aren't comfortable being present for and, to prevent having to feel that way, we try to get out of our body (and often get stuck in our heads). I have been there. And to be honest, there are still some days it gets the better of me and I find myself in the self-fueled spiral that is anxiety. The best thing we can do is to get back into our body. These are my top 5 go-to strategies to settle back into and take care of my body:

Feel your toes- How many times throughout the day do you think about your toes? Probably not often. What you're retraining yourself to do is think about a specific body part (that's neutral, not that part of your body you are embarrassed by- you think about that enough). I like the feet because they are the furthest from your head. Checking in with yourself physically tends to have a grounding effect that leaves you feeling more stable. A specific exercise I like to borrow from yoga is to spread my toes as much as I can and then place each toe, starting with the pinky toe, one after the other until your foot is completely flat. This physically gives you more sturdiness which always feels more secure. While you're noticing your feet, you may realize those shoes hurt and decide to take them off for a bit. The more you can make yourself physically comfortable, the better you'll be.

Move around- Take a walk, go outside, dance, stretch, or at least try to do something active. This will help you get your heart pumping oxygen to your brain so you can think about how you are wanting to approach whatever is causing you stress or anxiety. Releasing energy in a healthy way can be calming and you may feel more empowered for having followed through on something you know is good for you.

Tapping points- There are points on your body that are natural pressure points. Tapping on them can help your nervous system relax (Look up Emotional Freedom Technique for more information). The least obvious one is the side or your hand or "karate chop" point. Acknowledge that you're feeling afraid and repeat "even though I'm feeling _____________, I choose to love and accept myself". Emotions we think of as "negative" often times just need to be expressed. This is a safe, effective way to express what's true for you right now and to give yourself some of the support you're looking for. Who better to listen and give support to you than the one that knows how you feel?

Drink some hot tea- chamomile tea has been shown to have medicinal quality relaxation effects. Adding ginger or turmeric can also be a great way to get anti-inflammatory benefits to counter the effects of stress on your physical body.

Practice good sleep hygiene- Sleep is often the first thing to go when you start to feel stress or anxiety. I've been there, lying awake at night, trying to do the math of how many hours I would get if I went to sleep right now. That puts more pressure on yourself and makes sleep more elusive. Try to reduce the use of your electronics at least 30 minutes before bed, the blue wave length light actually mimics sunlight, causing your brain to wake up when you're trying to go to sleep.

This week, write down how you sleep. Also, keep track of the caffeine intake/times throughout the day, electronic usage (and what you're looking at), as well as physical activity. When I did this, I was able to determine that when I exercised in the evening and went to bed texting, I didn't sleep as well. I've since bought a 10k lux light to start my day, moved the more vigorous activity to the morning, limit my screen time as the day goes on.

I'd love to hear what you find to improve your sleep habits. Leave a comment below.