Anxiety Coping Mechanisms
Anxiety Coach Erica Weiner joined us as a guest speaker at our Zoom meeting about anxiety coping mechanisms. View a portion of the recorded meeting here.
Anxiety Coping Mechanisms:
Writing everything down.
Sometimes the best way to get a thought out of your head is by physically writing it down, and watching this thought transfer from your head onto the paper. This strategy can be helpful at times, but if you ever find yourself feeling lost and not knowing where to turn, I recommend the book “burn after writing.” This book asks you personal questions about who you are, your likes and dislikes, what’s important to you, etc…It really forces you to discover what and who are meaningful to you. Click here to order the book on amazon.com
Meditation Apps/Videos:
Listening to a calming program can be a great way to calm yourself down and distract yourself. These apps are designed to get you out of that anxious state of mind and transform into a state of tranquility. These apps offer free meditations and breathing tools. In addition, some of them even cater to your personal needs and can help with skill building over periods of time. According to experts from the UCLA Mindfulness Awareness Research Center and the UMass Center for Mindfulness, the app Headspace offers the best meditation experience with a variety of programs to choose from. To learn more about Headspace and other meditation apps, click here.
Fast, Versatile Exercises
In our first group zoom meeting, anxiety was the prominent topic of conversation. Participants went around and shared some anxiety coping mechanisms they have accumulated over the years. Majority of these strategies are effortless, and can be used anytime and anywhere.
A great way to alleviate anxiety quickly is by splashing cold water on your face. This is not the most versatile option, however, if you are in a facility with access to a sink with cold water, this method is worth trying. This method has proven be calming when having an anxiety attack. Continuously splash cold water on your face until you notice your anxiety has been alleviated.
Find 10 colors around you. This is a fast, and simple coping mechanism that can be done almost anywhere. This strategy is great for distracting your mind and directing your focus to something soothing like colors. When anxious, it’s helpful to pay attention to your surroundings and establish what is a fact vs what is a thought. Looking for 10 colors around you is a great way to start.
Focus on breathing. This is perhaps one of the most well known, and effective strategies. Breathing exercises do not necessarily have to be accompanied by a meditation app such as Headspace. They can be done on your own at any given moment. Simply inhale and count to eight, then exhale. Repeat, and focus your energy on deep breathing.