Breath Work and Managing Anxiety
Hi guys. It has been a crazy 24 hours to say the very least. Yesterday at UNC a professor was killed by an active shooter. This pains my heart to say. I feel for his family and friends as well as the entire chapel hill community. Unfortunately for me, the active shooter alert is one that I am not unfamiliar with at this point. We need change and sitting back is not going to get us there. I will touch more on this subject when I have had time to ruminate, but I am so glad I knew specific techniques to keep me calm. Not only was this situation horrific, but I have been so extremely busy with college and sorority rush. It is so easy to get overwhelmed in the midst of a new school year especially when it’s a big transition like high school to college. However, from yoga and life in general I have learned breathing techniques and other ways to reduce stress that I wanted to share.
The biggest stressor for me is thinking of every single item on my “to-do list” all at once. This causes an anxiety spiral where I basically think the world is ending and the walls are about to cave in. I’m sure we can all relate, but the real question is, how do we stop that?
There are a number of ways in which you can calm yourself down. I think it is important to know what is best for you. Although you want to be able to understand yourself and know the best methods for yourself, the people you surround yourself with are extremely important. Being able to go to a friend, family member, etc. is pivotal because sometimes we can’t handle stressors by ourselves and that is more than ok. Who do you go to? I go to my parents and siblings because they know me so well (sometimes even more than I know myself).
When you start to think of everything all at once, pause and reflect. Remember that you have felt this way before. You have felt like the world was ending before, but was it? No. You can handle everything that comes your way. You are more than capable. Make a “to-do list.” Write down every single thing that is flowing through your brain. What do you need to do today? What is coming up? I even write down things like showering and eating so that I prioritize those things just as much as things like homework and extracurriculars. Journalling isn’t for everyone, but sometimes it can be nice to put all your thoughts on a page so you don’t have to internalize them.
It’s easy to forget about the things you love, but try to find joy in each task. When we have so much going on, the fun can be sucked right out, but try to put the fun back into it. For example, when I have so much homework, I start to feel stressed throughout every task I am doing. The truth is, that homework isn’t going away so you may as well find a smidge of joy within it. For example, I had to read 30 pages for geography and take notes. It can sound overwhelming, but I remembered that I like the topic at hand so instead of thinking about how much I had to do, I focused on learning and the joy I find in that. You can also use a reward system. Maybe after you study for x hours you can get dessert.
Breathing is one of the biggest ways to calm anxiety and I always come back to it. Whether it be intentional meditation or just taking a few big deep breaths. Close your eyes. Find a comfortable position. There is no right or wrong way. Maybe you prefer to lay down, maybe sit up straight, whatever you want. Relax each part of your body. Let your shoulders fall. Release your eyebrows and nose. Unclench your jaw. Let your fingertips fall. Take a body scan. How are you feeling? No judgement, just realization. What do you need in this moment? How do you want to feel after? Slow your breath. Take a big inhale and a big exhale and continue. Play around with your breath and find what you like best. My favorite is inhaling for 4, holding for 7, and exhaling for 8. You can also inhale for 4, exhale for 4, inhale 5, exhale 5, and make your way up to 10 and back down to 4. Sometimes a bigger inhale feels good sometimes a bigger exhale, and sometimes a bigger hold is best.
Another technique is alternate nostril breathing. Cover one nostril and breath in through the other. Then, cover the other nostril and breath out. Breath back in through that same nostril and then switch.
One key trick to your breathing is allow your inhale to fill your belly completely. Pooch it out. Who cares. Then on the exhale allow the breath to empty completely.
Focus on your breath not you to-do list. Return to a state of peace.
Similarly to breathing and meditation, another mindfulness technique I like is taking a walk, but not listening to anything or talking to anyone just thinking. Allowing all the thoughts their moment in space. Sometimes we keep ourselves so busy that we don’t give our minds the time to process and the stress keeps building and building. Take a minute of nothingness. Walking in and of itself is the perfect de-stressor.
Working out in all of its forms can help you calm down. Different workouts are great for different things. I like yoga for calming and creative exploration. I like HIIT when I need to workout aggression or get my heart rate up.
Positive affirmations and remembering who you are and how much you have done is always a key to helping me return to a state of calm and peace.