Check-in, Anxiety Support, 1 to 15 of February 2023
Calming down: Let's share what works for us!
Calming ourselves by our own means, even a bit, is great in itself, we have some tools always at hand to make us feel better.
But it's also important, I think, as a way of self-regulation. The fact that we can do it ourselves improves our self-confidence that we can reduce our anxiety when needed. It's under our control to some extent. This increased confidence might decrease base anxiety even further, in a "virtuous circle".
That's why it's important, I think, to try, learn and practice relaxation and calming techniques. There are many, many of them. Among so many options, it's very valuable and encouraging to know which ones actually work for other people. So we might try them knowing they are not just something written in a book or article, but it works for someone we know.
I propose we share what things work for each of us to calm and make us feel better when dealing with anxiety.
I will start with my (incomplete) personal list, not intended as a recommendation, but as a prompt to share ideas among us:
Meditation: it gives me a baseline for each day and lets me see what's going on in my head from a kind of external "real me" perspective. I sit down on a high cushion, legs crossed on a mat, and focus on my breath.
Cutting down on coffee: I love coffee. But it increases much my anxiety. So I adopted a "zero coffee policy". I have an expresso from time to time though...
Breathing: Emptying totally my lungs, then filling them to the brim and waiting a few seconds before releasing. Repeating some times, at any time of the day.
Stretching: I hold a lot of tension in muscles, particularly in my calves. Stretching releases tension and makes me feel more comfortable and relaxed.
Walking: long walks are at the same time a great release of stress (by exercising) and a distracting, rhythmic activity. Doing it mindfully makes it more effective for me.
Music I use it in two alternative ways; as a soothing background, and as an enjoyable focus of attention, that keeps any other thoughts away.
Awareness: stopping now and then to check what's going on in my mind.
I don't use all these things every day, but frequently, And it's reassuring to me that I can count on them at any time to feel better.
Some Online Resources:
8 Soothing Techniques to Help Relieve Anxiety - University Hospitals:
https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2020/04/8-soothing-techniques-to-help-relieve-anxiety
Anxiety management strategies - BeyondBlue:
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/anxiety/treatments-for-anxiety/anxiety-management-strategies
Relaxation techniques for stress - MedlinePlus: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000874.htm
Relaxation Techniques: Learn How to Manage Stress - WebMD:
https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot
Relaxation - Mind.org: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/relaxation/relaxation-exercises/
Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief - Helpguide:
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm
Questions:
- What things you do to calm down?
- What other things would you like to try?
- How have you been feeling these days?
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1) I breathe and meditate to calm myself down
2) I would like to try other ways to calm myself
3) I’ve been feeling anxious but I’ve gotten better at easing my worries
@FishPhos21
Hi!
Thank you for coming here to share your thoughts and personal experiences!
As I told in my post I also meditate. I have been doing it for many years, and it became an important part of who I am as a person.
Breathing deeply is also basic for me. I have been singing and playing wind instruments for many years too, so deep breathing comes natural tome, I have a strong connection to it.
So we are very similar in this respect.
I am glad that you are willing to try other calming techniques. There are many to try. They are all enjoyable and interesting, so nothing to lose and all to gain. You might find one to keep in your basic toolkit.
There are many proven techniques listed in the pages linked at the bottom of my post.
I hope you find them useful.
All the best!
Marcelo.
@HealingTalk
Hi, Talk,
1. things you do to calm down? I tell myself that everything will be ok. I do breathing exercises. I pray. I meditate.
2. What other things would you like to try? exercise
3. How have you been feeling these days? sick. today was too much for me and I snapped.
@purpleTree4652
Hi Dawna!
You have a toolkit of powerful techniques for calming down! Very similar to what I do. I also tell myself about the same in stressful situations. Meditation and prayer, as well as breathing, are a great foundation.
Exercising regularly is challenging for most of us. I use a kind of "domino effect", starting with doing short walks, then long walks, then light workouts, then more demanding ones. But the base is always walking.
You might find useful the 7 Cups' Guide on Excercise Motivation: https://www.7cups.com/how-to-get-motivated-to-exercise/
Also, the Healthy Living Community has a topic "Exercise and Activity" focused on motivation, and another on "Getting Started". Here is the Healthy Living Community: https://www.7cups.com/home/healthyliving/
You could also participate in Heather's "Accountability Challenge" here: https://www.7cups.com/forum/PositivityGratitude_170/InspirationMotivation_2229/TaketheAccountabilityWellnessChallenge_292893/?post=3147622
I hope that you are feeling better and that you find time to relax and rest from so much stress.
All the best!
Marcelo
I have those days. I have my wife let me know if I’m irritable and being short. I’ve had raised anxiety the past week. I’ve recently starting tapering off of paroxetine so that hasn’t helped.
@HealingTalk
What things do you do to calm down?
listen to calming music or talk to my partner
What other things would you like to try?
exercise even though I don't have the motivation to do so.
How have you been feeling these days?
this past month I have been feeling mediocre and just taking it day by day
@heathermarie95
Hello, Marie!
Thank you for coming again to our check-in!
I also listen to calming music. It's such a great investment of your time and energy. With little effort, you gain a lot in terms of enjoyment and calming down, avoiding intrusive thoughts, etc. I like classical music, particularly the piano. For example, Mozart's Piano Sonatas are very calming to me.
It seems that you have a strong emotional connection with your partner, whose health I hope has improved and is getting better.
Regarding exercise motivation, I suggest you the same 7 Cups resources I mentioned to PurpleTree:
7 Cups' Guide on Excercise Motivation: https://www.7cups.com/how-to-get-motivated-to-exercise/
Healthy Living Community topics "Exercise and Activity" and "Getting Started": https://www.7cups.com/home/healthyliving/
Heather's "Accountability Challenge":
https://www.7cups.com/forum/PositivityGratitude_170/InspirationMotivation_2229/TaketheAccountabilityWellnessChallenge_292893/?post=3147622
I know this past month has been difficult in your life. I wish you that soon things get better and less stressful.
All the best!
Marcelo.
1. What things calm you down?
I would say driving and listening to music and animals help calm me down.
2. What other things would you like to try?
It depends on the situation I would guess.
3. How have you been feeling these days?
I honestly don't know how I have been feeling.
@HealingTalk
- What things you do to calm down? I do meditation. Music or tv or reading as distractions. writing as a release.
- What other things would you like to try? art
- How have you been feeling these days? very goal inspired
@charmingSky5972
Hi, Charming Sky!
I am glad you have been so goal inspired recently. I imagine it makes you feel good.
You have a great toolkit of practices to calm down.
It's interesting how you use each in different ways, like music, TV and reading as distractions, and writing as a release. Writing is great for downloading thoughts we have in our mind, so they stop bouncing inside our head. I suppose meditation gives you a base of calm.
Art would be a great practice. You might get motivation by participating or just browsing the 7 Cups' "Hobby Zone" community: https://www.7cups.com/home/hobbyzone/ and click the "Arts and Crafts" topic (on PC). Or go to the "Hobby Zone" community and enter the "Arts and Crafts" forum (on the phone app.
Thank you for coming to this check-in!
All the best!
Marcelo
I play with kids, I go for long walks, I listen music, Sometimes I watch shows, I go to excercise or I clean or sometimes I talk to my friends..
I would like to try other things apart from what I do when I am anxious. Like go for hiking or swimming or long running..
I was feeling very bad and sad but now I am feeling better
@straightforwardPal4407
Hi!
I am glad that you are feeling better!
You do have a powerful set of things to calm you down. Playing with kids is amazing! I like long walks too.
Cleaning and decluttering can have a surprisingly calming effect.
To help you motivate for more demanding exercises like hiking, swimming or long-running., you might find useful the 7 Cups' Guide on Excercise Motivation: https://www.7cups.com/how-to-get-motivated-to-exercise/
Also, the Healthy Living Community has a topic "Exercise and Activity" focused on motivation, and another on "Getting Started". Here is the Healthy Living Community: https://www.7cups.com/home/healthyliving/
You could also participate in Heather's "Accountability Challenge" here: https://www.7cups.com/forum/PositivityGratitude_170/InspirationMotivation_2229/TaketheAccountabilityWellnessChallenge_292893/?post=3147622
You can start small, with a regular schedule. And let it naturally get more intense with time.
Thank you very much for coming here to this check-in!
All the best!
Marcelo.
Hey!
1. I do the 54321 technique (naming 5 things u can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell and 1 you can taste)
2. I would like to try out exercises more and walking through nature perhaps
3. Horrible tbh, I can't stop shaking and I have been crying for 3 days straight for no reason, I hope it gets better soon
@diplomaticOcean2966
Hi!
Thank you for coming to this check-in.
I hope you feel better soon.
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is very effective, as it grounds you in the here and now, using your five senses. You might try other grounding techniques as well.
Nature is great for mental health. the Japanese have a name for walking in nature: "Shinrin-Yoku", or "Forest Bathing":
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/beginners-guide-to-japanese-forest-bathing/10369284
Thank you again for coming here!
All the best!
Marcelo!
What things you do to calm down?
Quickly get away from people, put my head between my legs if possible, and say the colors and smells around me out loud to pull myself out of a memory
What other things would you like to try?
I’d really like to be able to calm myself down with other people around. A lot of the time, it means running to the bathroom or my car which isn’t really fun.
How have you been feeling these days?
Anxious, depressed, and like I’ll never get better
@akay06
Hi!
Thank you for participating in this check-in!
I am glad that you have ways to calm down and cope, that you know well and put regularly into practice with good results.
As you wish to find other alternative ways to calm down, I suggest that you experiment by trying the "Grounding Techniques" listed in the articles linked here, to see if you find some that fits your needs:
From VeryWellMind:
https://www.verywellmind.com/grounding-techniques-for-ptsd-2797300
From HealthLine:
https://www.healthline.com/health/grounding-techniques
From PTSD UK
https://www.ptsduk.org/grounding-techniques/
I hope that some of those help you cope and feel better, a small step at a time.
Thank you again!
All the best!
Marcelo.
- what things you do to calm down?
I try to breath and dissect why I feel the way I feel
but I usually end up losing control of my emotions
- what other things would you like to try?
I’d like to go back to journaling, I used to journal every day, but I barely have any time to spare these days
- how have you been feeling these days?
mostly down, lonely in my thoughts, it gets to me sometimes
@HopefulLife2016
Hi!
Thank you for coming to this check-in!
Breathing exercises and exploring the feelings we are having at the moment, are great ways to calm down and cope with a situation of high anxiety.
Sometimes our emotions are so overwhelming that even the best techniques might not be enough to get them totally under control. But they help to some extent to improve the situation and feel a little better.
Journaling is a great practice, particularly for dealing with Anxiety, as you can "download" in your Journal all the things that worry you, thus helping clear your mind.
To help you get motivation for commiting to Journaling, I suggest that you consider following the "Journaling for Mental Health" Growth Path that you can find here:
https://www.7cups.com/path/playlist/journaling-for-mental-health/
I hope you feel better soon.
And I wish you all the best.
Marcelo.
1) I usually try to breath it out, analyze it and trying to view things from another perspective, then I will distract myself with something else, so to avoid overthinking and ruminating on the feelings. Mindfulness with the attitude of being there and compassionate with the feelings also helps a lot through each steps.
2) Just earlier today, when I was ruminating how to comfort myself better and better deal with my thoughts and feelings with more compassion, while scrolling on YouTube shorts, I stumbled upon a short that explained how people treat their "bad" emotions. In the video, it's as if we act like a parent that play favorites. "Good" emotions such as happiness, calm and joy are treated well and we dote on them, while we abuse and criticize the "bad" ones like fear and anxiety. This type of representation really strikes deep. The more we abuse and criticize fear and anxiety, the more it will hurt.
So I have this idea, on representating such emotions in my mind as cute furry balls that jump around me. Whenever one of them got hyperactive and jumped around more (that means when I'm getting anxious, etc.), I will (in my imagination) hold and hug them, comfort them well. I think this kind of visualization will help me getting a little more detached from the emotions, while simultaneously being able to deal with it. And it feels cathartic to show support to myself, especially since I didn't really get this enough from anyone else. I still have a lot to practice though. Developing a nurturing voice takes work.
3) This week I feel a little anxious. Next week I will attend an internship program that lasts for 6 weeks. I have complicated feelings towards it. But I'm trying to be there for myself and so far things aren't getting worse, so that's good.
