23 Essential Tips and Tricks to Relieve Anxiety

Anxiety is a terrible thing to suffer through, and it affects millions of people around the world. Here are some tricks I use to help me when I’m feeling anxious or actually going through a panic attack. Read to the end of this post to see the top 3 tips from this list that everyone is loving.  If you suffer from acute anxiety or have constant, unrelenting anxiety and panic attacks then you should see a medical professional. This article is to be used to help relieve symptoms of but not diagnose or cure anxiety disorders.

Let’s start with some of the reasons we feel anxiety. I’m going to narrow it down to just a handful because every situation is different but there are pieces of the puzzle that we all have in common. Unbalanced Brain Chemicals: Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins, Dopamine (there are more but these are the ones we focus on) Hormones Stressful or fearful Situations Each one of these can play a crucial role in why you are feeling anxiety.

Breathe

So, why does breathing help with any of those things? Well, when we get stressed we tend to hold our breath or breathing rapid shallow breaths. Subconsciously we are preparing for something so we hold our breath or breath shallowly and the acidity of carbon dioxide starts to build up in our system instead of being released and can actually trigger a panic attack. There is lots of research being done and of course not everything is understood about panic attacks but for me personally breathing is a big part of the problem and the solution. Try Breathing out for 7 seconds breathing in for 4 seconds and holding it for 2 seconds then breath out 7 seconds and so on. Breathing OUT is the important part of this practice.

Lavender

A couple of weeks after I had my daughter I hadn’t slept for more than a couple hours total. Now, I could chalk this up to a newborn keeping me up, but the thing was that she was sleeping and I was not. My hormones were on the rampage and I could not calm down no matter what I tried. One night sobbing on the couch in desperation and after much prayer my husband decided to put lavender oil on my feet. To be honest I thought that it was not going to be much help. But, within five minutes of his putting the lavender oil on my feet I was asleep; for the first time in weeks. This was when I first began thinking of starting a lavender farm. It was such a great resource I wanted to be able to share it with others.

Massage

One of the best ways to apply lavender is through a lotion If you’re lucky you might be able to talk someone into giving you a foot rub with it. Double the relaxation.

Sunshine

An average of 15 minutes a day in the sunlight can help boost your serotonin levels, a chemical that affects your mood and has a lot to do with anxiety. It also gives you vitamin D which helps your cells do what they need to do. If your body is functioning at peak performance levels that helps lower the risk of anxious thoughts and feelings. You need sleep! Sleep deprivation can cause your anxiety to be even worse than it would normally be if you were getting proper sleep. So, put down your device, stop watching any screens an hour before you plan to sleep and practice healthy sleep hygiene.

Have a routine so your body can prepare itself for the rest it needs. If you have sleep anxiety and can’t sleep for whatever reason try some of these other tricks to get you mind and body calm to sleep. One of the most helpful tricks for me is what I call Sensory Anchoring.

Anchoring

The technique is that when you are feeling most anxious or are feeling a panic attack coming on or even if you are in the middle of a panic attack you find a few things to focus all you senses on. For example, I will grab hold of something by the side of my bed, say a book, and I will describe that book out loud. It is heavy; it is cool to the touch and rough along the edges but smooth on the cover. The item smells like new paper and I’m probably not going to taste it to tell you about that sense.

I imagine a safe space, for me it is usually a beautiful location in nature with all the comforts I need; house, food, warmth, access to medical attention just for me… I describe the place out loud (usually to my husband) and use the five senses to describe the things I love about my space and why it makes me feel comforted. This is a little trick I learned from one of my therapists.

I actually start with my toe muscles and flex or tighten them as hard as I can, without hurting myself, for one minute, then release the tightness. Move on to each connected muscle group. So, toes: flex 1 minute release… and so on through feet, calves, thighs, buttocks, lower back upper back, shoulders, arms, hands & fingers, neck, then tighten your whole body and release.

Exercise

Exercising works on your brain as well as you body. Studies show that exercise boosts anxiety relieving chemicals. When I was first diagnosed with Anxiety my Doctor told me to get exercise daily. I was already exhausted from panic attacks and having a new baby so I was like, “yeah right you want me to actually move? Not happening.” But as I started to regulate my brain chemicals and hormones through medication and these other strategies I’ve listed I started feeling like I could maybe get off the couch at least once a week.

You have to do what you can, push yourself only when it’s healthy to do so. I built up to being able to do more and more every week. I learned that I hate running so I tried swimming which I love! Do exercises you like to do there are SO many different types of exercise that you’re sure to find one you can at least tolerate if not love.  

Vitamins

Miguel: “Oh, I don’t know. I thought it might have been one of those made-up things, that adults tell kids, like vitamins.”

“Miguel, vitamins are a real thing.”

Miguel: “Now I’m thinking they might be.”

Disney’s Coco

I don’t know why it took me so long to get on this bandwagon but I regret that I didn’t do it sooner. I think it’s because I’d heard some reports that vitamins don’t actually do anything but I’m here to testify that they do help. They have given me energy and helped get rid of my brain fog. They have helped my anxiety by giving me energy to take care of myself in other ways such as exercise and sleeping better. So find the multi vitamin that is right for you.

Meditation

Meditation is just a way of clearing your mind and freeing it from thoughts and stresses you are experiencing. Sounds great right? All you need to do is find a quite place where you will be undisturbed for a few minutes up to half an hour. Clearing your mind is something you have to teach your body to do. The process is to concentrate on one thing, some start with just thinking of their breathing.

You will be tempted to follow a thought that comes to your mind but you need to resist and just concentrate on the one small thing you are trying to focus on. It will calm your body and signal to your brain to release all those calming chemicals we’ve talked about.

Sensory

Sensory therapy can be both physically as well as mentally calming practice. I love the feeling of running these things through my fingers. It is magical. They have a cult following for a reason. Just try some of these in a “foot bath and you will realize what you’ve been missing in your relaxation routine. Slime is one of those tactile therapies that benefit a lot of people. It may seem strange but just look up the slime followers online they are in the millions. And with something so simple why not give it a try. Add in a little bit of lavender essential oil for a

Gardening

Gardening is the second biggest hobby in the world. It is beautiful, good exercise, good for your brain, you’re in the sun… There is something about creating with nature, watching things sprout into life and grow and change every day. It also gives you healthy veggies and fruits to eat at the end of the season. It combines so many mentally and physically beneficial aspects it’s a hobby you need to try. Start with something small like potted plants or a small raised garden.

Get Creative

Painting, Puzzles, Pottery, Problem solving… anything to get your mind moving and thinking of something other than your anxiety is a good thing. Being creative allows you to learn and grow and relax. It is satisfying to work on something and create something new or discover something about the world or yourself. The freedom of creativity allows your subconscious to express itself.

Service

Helping others is proven to help you mentally. It gets your mind off of your own troubles it counteracts the effects of anxiety and depression by social interaction which creates da da daaaa good brain chemicals! All of these items on my list help promote feel good brain chemicals (dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins, and serotonin) and hormones.

Eat Healthy

Eat a Delicious Healthy Meal Take care of your body. Take care of your mind. Give them the things they need to be able to function at their best. Take some time to create a and instead of rushing through it to the next thing, or watching TV or scrolling through social media, sit and savor the food. Savor the dopamine that is created when you eat something yummy. Enjoy it with good company. There is a reason that our society focuses on food with company. It is a feel good situation.

Walk in Nature

Walking clears your mind and helps you focus on breathing and sensations rather than the endless rotation of fears and stresses that you are wont to dwell on. Do yourself a favor and take a little bit of time away from everything and go on a hike to add to the beauty of your walk. Nature is a panacea for mental health, at least for me. Music is creates an interesting phenomenon in each human being.

Music

There are so many different researches being done on the affect of music on the human brain but suffice it to say that music helps your brain. Each person is drawn to different types of music that make them feel good. The most common one however is classical music. Gaining in popularity every day is video game music. So, the take away from this trick is to try out different types of music to see which one make you feel the best. Singing releases endorphins into your brain so belt it out to your favorite tune.

Talk About It

Expressing your feelings is cathartic and good for your mental health. It helps you understand what you are actually feeling. Sometimes speaking allows your brain to acknowledge things it is subconsciously feeling and thinking. Talking with someone you feel safe with they can help you rationalize the things your brain is going through. Having a supportive ear can really help you work things out in your life.

Screen Time

I’m going to talk about screen time. It needs to be said, you spend too much time on devices. It is physically and mental hard on you and you need a break. A lot of times we go to our devices to escape. We want to feel the dopamine flowing through our bodies as we watch beautiful images and imagine ourselves in that world. So when we are plopped back into reality we start to feel even worse about ourselves.

Read a Book

So my thought on this is if you need an escape, do your brain a favor and read a physical book. Your brain is actually working to create a world, it is using imagination (one of things it does best) it is learning, growing, stretching, being exercised…you get the picture. You need a break, take one in a book.

Control What You Can

Think about what is causing your anxiety. Is it Chemical? Hormonal? Situational? Sadness? A real fear or a thought about a situation that could cause fear? If you go to a quiet space and spend some thoughtful moments on what is actually happening in your body it will help. If you are anxious about something that is a tangible situation that you can plan your defense for then you will feel prepared to go into that situation. For example if you are STRESSED ABOUT A TEST OR FINALS then you can think about how you need to prepare for that test.

If you are stressed about the possibility of one of your children getting hurt in a very specific way then you can plan for that by making sure your child is safe away from the danger. If you are worried about a “what if” situation then you need to change your tactics and do some more thought work on why you are feeling a specific feeling.

Writing

Writing something down can help our brains move on from a thought or get a better understanding of what you are thinking. Sometimes I have a word or song or phrase that is just on repeat in my brain and I can’t make it stop. I have to write down what is bothering me or what I am feeling so that my brain can let it go and maybe even get new insight on the thought.

Gratitude

When your thoughts are filled with gratitude then it leaves less room for doubt and fear. It makes you have an understanding of what is good in your life instead of letting your chemical negativity take control of your thoughts. Try keeping a daily gratitude journal. Start with basic things like a bed to sleep in, people who you care for, good experiences, food, modern medicine… The more you think about it the more you will recognize things to be grateful for.  Sometimes no matter what we try things just don’t always work the way we want them to.

Life Experience

Anxieties and depressions are a part of our life experiences. They are normal and natural, but if you are experiencing such sever depression, anxiety and stress then you need to

Top Three

With a list this big you might need to start with just a few. These three are what our top picks are because of their efficacy. 

Lavender- Lavender essential oil rubbed on your feet is our top pick for calming.

Creativity- Having a creative outlet is essential to mental health. 

Sleep- Getting the sleep your body needs will help regulate chemicals and hormones in your body. Sleep deprivation will cause your anxiety to get worse in most cases. 

Share your strategies and ideas on how you deal with anxiety, stress, or depression.  If you have something creative that you have made Show US! I’d love to see your projects and how you make the world beautiful!