5 ways you can decrease your anxiety right now

1) Breathe Breathe Breathe

You may have heard people say 'just breathe' when you feel nervous, but a breathing exercise is not a guaranteed or immediate solution. Slow, comfortable breathing may help some people manage stress. Try breathing gently at a pace that feels comfortable, without forcing a deep breath, prolonged exhalation or breath hold. Stop if you feel dizzy, short of breath or more anxious, and discuss other options with your clinician. Breathing exercises can support coping but do not replace assessment or treatment.

2) Tune in to your senses.

Tuning into your senses is often called grounding. One common exercise is 5-4-3-2-1: notice five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. Focusing on your surroundings may help redirect attention to the present. Responses vary; if this exercise is unhelpful or uncomfortable, stop and discuss a different strategy with your therapist.

3) Start “noticing your thoughts”

instead of judging them or associating with them. Many of our feelings are proceeded by thoughts. We all have thousands of thoughts every day and starting to just notice your thoughts can give you some distance from your thoughts and reduce feelings of anxiety. Just because we have a thought, does not mean that thought is true.

4) Start challenging your thoughts.

Imagine you were in a court defending yourself against a prosecuting attorney with the prosecuting attorney acting as your negative thoughts. Not everything your brain tells you is factual and accurate. For example, if you have a thought of “I’m so stupid”, you could challenge that thought by reminding yourself of times you have done well on exams or received positive feedback from work. This may take some time to master, but thought challenging is a useful way to reduce anxiety

5) Get your heart rate up

Study after study shows that cardiovascular activity is one of the most helpful tactics in managing anxiety. Even 2-3 short 10-20 minute high-intensity training at intervals can be helpful in reducing anxiety in the short term and long term.