7 Body-based Ways to Shortcut Your Anxiety
These days the danger in front of us looks different, but our bodies act the same. It’s still getting ready to fight or flee whatever perceived threat we’re facing.
When we’re experiencing anxiety, our heart rate increases, we get sweaty, we breathe quicker, our muscles tense - our body is going into high alert. It’s preparing to take on something big and scary, like a bear (or more likely these days, a big presentation at work or a tough conversation with a loved one).
A bear? What do you mean?
Well, our brains and bodies are wired to keep us safe (whew!), but that wiring came about when we were facing severe threats and predators in our environment. Our bodies learned to kick into overdrive to get ready to fight or flee whatever danger was in front of us, like a bear. These days the danger in front of us looks different, but our bodies act the same. It’s still getting ready to fight or flee whatever perceived threat we’re facing.
Ok, but how do I convince my body we’re not about to fight a bear?
Glad you asked! We know more now than we ever have about how our brains and bodies work. With that knowledge, we know there’s a feedback loop of thoughts, behaviors, and physical symptoms activating anxiety. One leads to the other creating what can feel like a vicious cycle. But there’s hope! If we can shift one, we can sometimes break the cycle. While changing thoughts and behaviors can create lasting change, they can take longer to adjust. Luckily, there are a number of physical ways to stop the loop. Not all of them work for everyone and not all of them will work in every situation, but that’s why there’s more than one.
1. Progressive muscle relaxation
Start with your feet and slowly move up your body, imagining each body part is releasing and relaxing.
2. Deep breathing
Either count your breaths, slow it down, or try box breathing.
3. Change your body temperature
Hold ice cubes in your hands or take a hot or cold shower.
4. Mammalian diving reflex (Keep a soft ice pack in the freezer for this one!)
Grab a soft ice pack or even a bag of frozen peas and sit somewhere you can also lean forward.
Cover your eyes with the ice pack, lean forward, and hold your breath as you count to 20 or 30 seconds in your mind.
Lean back and and remove the ice pack from your face while breathing out slowly.
5. Get your senses involved
Count 5 things you see, 4 things you can feel/touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
Alternative: Dive deep into one sense. Really focus on that leaf on the sidewalk, pop a mint in your mouth and focus wholly on its minty sensation, or carry a soothing, fuzzy keychain you can hold.
6. Swing your arms
You can do this just standing up or while walking. The bilateral stimulation regulates the nervous system.
7. Move your body
Walk around the block, do 10 jumping jacks or simply wiggle it out.
I invite you to give these a go and see what works for you. By connecting into the systems already at play inside us, we can learn to rewire and heal.
