Relaxation techniques can be helpful in reducing levels of anxiety that occur from time to time.
Long-term, they can also be an effective way to bring a feeling of control and calm into our lives. Many of us have forgotten to live in a state of calm and have resigned ourselves to thinking that feeling anxious or stressed is a natural consequence of living in today’s fast-paced world. Sometimes we may not even know whether we are stressed or anxious. That’s because stress and anxiety have similar symptoms. For example, anxiety might show up in one or more of the following:
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Feeling overwhelmed
Difficulty in sleeping or getting enough rest
Feeling irritable or easily frustrated or agitated
Changes in appetite - either eating more or less than usual
Difficulty in focusing or concentrating
Feeling on edge or jumpy
Frequent physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain, or gastrointestinal issues
High level of worry or rumination
Emotional instability, such as crying or feeling anger
Avoiding social interactions
Lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyed
When we experience symptoms of anxiety on a regular basis, we get used to this feeling. So much so that we don’t know what it’s like to feel relaxed. In this type of situation, the goal of relaxation exercises is to change this baseline of anxiety to a lower level (not eliminate it).
When to Use Relaxation Strategies for Anxiety
Practice daily, just like your exercise program, to lower tension and feel calmer over time. We don’t expect an occasional visit to the gym to allow us to be physically fit. We need to recognize that we won’t be able to reduce our anxiety significantly with just an occasional relaxation practice.
When we are experiencing anxiety, learn to be comfortable with uncomfortable feelings without trying to stop or suppress those feelings. This helps us learn that anxiety is not so dangerous, and it helps us lower anxiety in the long run.
When NOT to Use Relaxation Strategies for Anxiety
Relaxation strategies are just one of a combination of skills to reduce anxiety and are best used in conjunction with cognitive-behavioral techniques. That’s why for some people, relaxation strategies can make anxiety worse. For example, if we use relaxation strategies with the goal of getting rid of anxiety, we train our brain to see anxiety as “bad”, which means we teach our brain to set off the anxiety alarm when anxiety symptoms begin. The most effective way to think about your relaxation practice is that when practicing regularly, you may reduce the frequency and intensity of anxiety. You develop the skills needed to control how you approach and react to your anxious symptoms. This puts you in the driver’s seat.
Slow Down the Mind
Mindfulness has its origins thousands of years ago, but over the past few decades, research shows that a regular practice can regulate our emotions and calm our minds. The goal of mindfulness practices is to learn how to describe experiences and emotions objectively and non-judgmentally with our attention focused on the present. This allows us to lessen the power of our anxious thoughts by seeing them objectively.
Why Should I Practice Mindfulness to Reduce my Anxiety?
Practicing mindfulness can be an effective way to lessen the impact of anxiety and as mentioned earlier, works well with other therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy. Some of the reasons mindfulness is so effective are these:
Trying to control the mind with force is very difficult. With our mindfulness practice, we learn to be gentle with ourselves and allow our thoughts to just be, without judgment. We learn to observe these thoughts from a distance and accept or tolerate the negative emotions associated with them. Once we can do this, we see that our thoughts are just thoughts, and they are not real.
Through practice, we retrain the brain not to react to anxiety and slow the sound of the alarm when we are triggered.
When we are focused on the present, we listen to the anxiety alarm and give it time. This allows us to keep it from fueling our feelings of anxiety. With practice, the body learns that it does not need the alarm and turns it off.
Relaxation strategies are just one of a set of skills needed to reduce anxiety. If your level of anxiety is interfering with the quality of your life, you may need to seek professional support to explore therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy, along with your mindfulness and relaxation practice.