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Three Mindful Ways to Calm an Anxious Mind - Mindful
Practice tuning into the senses
In moments of moderate to intense anxiety, the 3×3 practice can come in handy.
Drop into 3 of your senses and name 3 things that you notice about them: the things you’re seeing, smelling, tasting, feeling, or hearing. This can help interrupt the automatic catastrophic thinking that’s fuelling the anxiety.
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Release the critic
Not only is anxiety painful enough, but we often get hit with a second round of self-critical thoughts.
If your judgments make you more anxious, see if you can interrupt your self-critic by dropping into your heart and saying, “May I learn to be kinder to myself.”
Channel your anxious energy
If your anxiety isn’t severe, you can actually channel that energy into something productive.
For example, if you’re nervously waiting to hear some news, get active—go for a walk, clean, organize, or garden instead.
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Awareness minimizes stress
Anxiety tends to build over time. Through awareness, we can help minimize its effects.
Our anxiety is trying to help us. Our body is trying to tell us it has new needs.
Meditate to calm your nervous system
Meditation as a practice is useful to tune into awareness and to calm your nervous system.
To start, take a minute or two to pay attention to where your mind wanders. When you're able to begin noticing problematic situations through the practice of awareness, you can stop doing them.
Stress can come in many forms
It often arise from something beyond our control, whether a breakup or loss of someone dear. We can even feel anxiety when trying something new.
We tend to desire a quick-fix for problems, but when dealing with anxiety, it's better to think of it as a practice where you build muscles.
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Change brings uncertainty
Five keys to dealing with uncertainty
- Recognize that there is only so much you can do right now, and that makes you human, not powerless.
- Envision the best, while being realistic. People tend to overestimate the risks and negative consequences and that leads to a lot of anxiety.
- You've faced uncertainty before. Take time to think and reflect on what helped you before.
- Although dealing with uncertainty is hard, there are consequences for not facing it head-on.
- See the Possibility.
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Worry
Worry is the cognitive part of anxiety, with it's repetitive and obsessive thought patterns in our mind. Worry is sometimes essential for us to solve problems or take action, provided we are not st...
Stress
Stress is a biological response(or a reaction) to external changes and forces beyond one's resources. Signs of stress include a rapid heart rate, shallow breath, and an adrenaline rush.
Acute stress or temporary stress is normal and even beneficial. Chronic stress is linked to health concerns like heart disease and a weakened immune system.
Ways to Handle Stress:
- Exercise daily.
- Focus your energy on what you can control.
- Know that your stress response is unique to you.
Anxiety
Anxiety is the culmination of worry and stress. It is a state of body and mind which is stressed and worried for no apparent reason, like a response to a false alarm.
An anxiety disorder is an acute form of anxiety and a serious medical condition.
How to Handle Anxiety:
- Curb your sugar, alcohol and caffeine consumption.
- Calm yourself by deep breathing and refocusing on your body parts.
- Distract yourself by listening to music or a little exercise.