3 Instant Calming Techniques For Anxiety-Filled Moments

Anxiety. A term used frequently within this fast-paced reality of today. The monkey mind is constantly racing, sporadic and incessant due to the nature of technology and our work-work-work-minded culture. When it comes to anxiety, a combination of factors are at play. We all have different trigger perspectives based on our conditioning and upbringing; we are diverse on the spectrum, as some of us unravel when we encounter adversity, others ground and steady under stress, and some fall somewhere in between. 

In brief, anxiety is a physiological response due to our internal dialogue, whether we are conscious of the thought construct or not. The mammalian fight-flight aspect of our brain (the amygdala) stores every thought, feeling and experience encountered since birth. When you encounter a current perceived difficulty, the amygdala instantaneously filters through and recollects the same past thoughts, feelings and physiological experiences that mirror the external stress, firing fight-flight chemicals to mitigate it. This is how a pattern of anxiety loops wires neurologically, even when the stressor is low-grade. The body wants to remain the same  (homeostasis), and the thought-emotion cycle is ingrained unconsciously.  

Above all else, if you are anxious-prone, you need a daily stillness practice—a time within the day to sit and be, eyes closed. Get curious about your internal dialogue. What are you saying to yourself? How do you fuel your thoughts? Notice how you project into the future or fear the past with replay? A feeling or emotion that generates a physiological response ALWAYS  stems from a thought. Therefore, when you sense anxiety (however that looks for you), heart palpitations, throat constricts, stomach flutters, palms sweat… as yourself in that instant, what thought pattern generates that physical expression? Begin to simply notice your looping and how you’ve wired your amygdala. Just witnessing what you are generating holds the possibility for you to make a choice…  

It is not always easy, as we have roughly 60,000 unconscious thoughts daily. So, when anxiousness  flushes into the moment, here are 3 quick calming techniques you can choose to smooth out  your physiological response: 

Breathwork: When anxiety floods our bodies, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, and the lungs begin to inhale more rapidly. Hyperventilation can result due to an increase in blood-oxygen levels. Lengthening your exhalation immediately stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the antidote to the fight-flight physiological response, influencing the body to relax and calm down immediately. I encourage my clients to practice a simple technique of inhaling through the nose for 4, suspending the inhalation for 4 and then exhaling through the nose for a count of 8. The breathwork should be practiced until the physical reactivity subsides. While practicing the breathwork, be curious about the sensations within the body. Where is the breath travelling? Feel the expansion and contraction. Notice the temperature at the tip of the nose. Get more subtle. 

Tapping while reciting an affirmation: Tapping is a technique where you tap with your index and middle finger on specific acupressure points of the body to manage negative emotions. The heart always increases its cadence when faced with a fear-based thought, therefore, tapping on the heart meridian point (at the heart level, just left of the sternum) is ideal for inviting the heart to return to its resting state. Pairing the tapping with an affirmation invites the thought currents to focus. I invite my clients to recite “I am not my thoughts. I am not my thoughts. I am not my thoughts….” repeatedly as they tap rapidly and rhythmically over the heart point. This must be continued until there begins a sense of calm.  Over time, the tapping slows down, eventually regulating the heart back to its natural pulse.  

Somatic ‘Shaking It Out’: Somatic shaking is a mind-body practice that encourages stored emotionality and trauma to be released from the physical body. Have you ever noticed how an animal shakes after a stressful event? Just like humans, adrenaline and cortisol are released when an animal perceives a threat. Animals intrinsically shake shortly thereafter to discharge the energy and release the tension, returning efficiently to homeostasis. Somatic shaking is, therefore, an efficient way to free the energetic contraction and tension. The moment you feel overcome by anxious energy, move into a quiet space and start to slowly jump in place (as if you were jumping on a rebounder). Close your eyes, relax your jaw, invite your arms to hang loose and as you jump, feel your density. Allow your body to move intuitively. Stay here for at  least 5 minutes, asking yourself, “What does it feel like being here within my body?” Keep grounding into the physical sensations. This will result in a release of endorphins that will alleviate and soothe you.  

Remember, these are techniques to calm the physical expression, but if you genuinely want to transmute the energy and heal anxious emotionality, you must take responsibility for your thought patterning and conditioning within the unconscious mind. The physical expression is your brain signalling your body to fight or fight the perceived stress (thought)…. Choose a different thought, and you may co-create a change. 

In light, 

Erica