Exercises To Calm Your Anxious Thoughts
It’s so easy to fall into a downward spiral of negative thinking. Our brains love to problem solve, but in that striving to fix mode we tend to hop on a runaway train of rumination, gathering speed and sometimes unable to stop. So try these tips:
Stop and breathe.
The important thing is not to run away from the anxiety - it will keep catching up with you! It is important to learn to notice how strong the anxiety is. Give it a rating from 1 (very mild) to 10 (overwhelmingly high). When it is so strong that it overwhelms you, then you can look for distractions, or seek help from someone. Otherwise, see if you can embrace the anxiety and welcome its arrival: treat it like a friend who is trying to help you with something.
Find something visual to focus on and become interested in it as if it’s the most wondrous thing you’ve ever seen. This could be an indoor plant, or a tree outside. It could be a cloud in the sky. Or it could be an inanimate object. Choose something that pleases you. Notice its size, its colour, its shape. Notice all its ridges, contours and patterns. Really study it. And every time those runaway thoughts intrude… tell them you’re busy right now and come back to studying your object. After a few minutes of this practice, get up and do something else.
You may like to try some physical exercise: a few jumping jacks, or jogging on the spot, perhaps some lunges or squats (these improve the blood flow to the brain and optimise your intake of oxygen).
If possible, go outside for a walk, perhaps in your yard or garden, or neighbourhood. If movement is difficult for you, see if you can imagine being in a different place (different room, venue, environment).