Counselling Tasmania

Anxiety

There are many different levels of 'anxiety' and we may all experience most of these in a life time. They range from heart stopping terror at one end of the scale to a sense that 'something isn't right' at the other end. We may be so anxious that we have difficulty sleeping or have constant worrying thoughts, being easily startled and unsettled in general. We may not even be aware of what it is that isn't right.

At any level, our bodies let us know in specific ways - signs of significant anxiety may include a racing heart, a dry mouth, 'butterflies in the tummy' or actual nausea, shakes in the legs or hands and a sense of being on the alert.

All of these signs are a throw back to our cave men ancestors - when faced by danger, they had to be ready to either runaway (flight); stay absolutely still until the danger passed (freeze); or stand up to the danger (fight).

We are still programmed to respond in one of these three ways today when faced with something that may be a risk to our safety and comfort. It can be quite frightening in itself to experience these signs - sometimes people fear the symptoms without being aware of the reasons for them - they actually can feel like a heart attack or people may feel that they are about to pass out - this is very scary!

We need to be aware of these bodily responses and to listen up and act rather than ignore them. If we ignore them we stand the risk of sending our bodies into a frenzy of over-reaction which can result in them becoming over stressed and sick - maybe seriously so.

The reasons for anxiety may need quite a lot of investigating and self exploration, but it helps enormously to start by doing simple exercises aimed at calming the body.

By doing this, we can focus more on what the scary thing is and use less energy on reacting.

Below are some useful exercises which will tend to your body and allow your mind to 'unfreeze' enough to pay attention to what is causing the emotion. Counselling has been shown to be a helpful way of exploring the causes of anxiety and teaching ways of dealing with the effects.

Calming Breath Exercise

The calming breath exercise was adapted from the ancient discipline of yoga. It is a very efficient technique for achieving a deep state of relaxation quickly. It can be a potent technique for halting the momentum of a panic reaction when the first signs of anxiety come on. It is also useful in reducing symptoms of hyperventilation or over-breathing, which can cause light headedness and further panic. Practice regularly for at least 5 minutes per day to reduce stress, anxiety and panic.

How to do the Calming Breath Exercise

Breathing from your abdomen, inhale slowly through your nose to a count of five. That is count slowly “one…two…three…four….five” as you inhale.
Pause and hold your breath to a count of five.
Exhale slowly through your nose or mouth to a count of five (or more if it takes you longer). Be sure to exhale fully.
When you have exhaled completely, return to normal breathing for two breaths.
Then repeat the steps above for at least 5 minutes. This should involve at least 10 cycles. If you start to feel light headed, stop for 30 seconds, or breathe a few extra normal breaths, then start again. Try this exercise whenever you feel anxious and see the calmness it brings.

Bourne, E. (2005), The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, New Harbinger Publications, USA

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

The regular practice of progressive muscle relaxation can go a long way toward helping you to better manage your anxiety, face your fears, overcome panic, and feel better all round. Benefits will be obtained by practicing at least once a day, for 15-20 minutes. Twice a day is ideal, but once is better than not at all.

Assume a comfortable position either lying down or sitting in a reclining chair, in a quiet room where you won’t be disturbed.

The idea is to tense each muscle group hard for 8 seconds (not so hard that you strain though), and then let go of it suddenly. Notice the difference between the feeling of tension and the feeling of relaxation. Relax the muscle group for about 20 seconds before moving on to the next muscle group.

Step-by-step guide on how to do Progressive Muscle Relaxation:

You may wish to tape this onto a cassette for yourself to help you, or try to memorise the sequence before you start. In time, it will come naturally.

Begin by taking three deep abdominal breaths, exhaling slowly each time.
Clench your fists. Hold for 8 seconds, then release for 20 seconds. Feel the relaxation as you let go.
Tighten your biceps by drawing your forearms up toward your shoulders and “making a muscle” with both arms. Hold….. then relax.
Tighten your triceps (the muscles on the undersides of your upper arms) by extending your arms straight out and locking your elbows. Hold…. Then relax.
Tense the muscles in your forehead by raising your eyebrows as far as you can. Hold….. then relax. Imagine your forehead becoming smooth and relaxed.
Tense the muscles around your eyes by clenching your eyelids tightly shut. Hold… then relax.
Tighten your jaw by opening your mouth so widely that you stretch the muscles around the hinges of your jaw. Hold….. then relax.
Tighten the muscles in the back of your neck by pulling your head way back, as if you were going to touch your head to your back (be gentle with this muscle group to avoid injury). Hold…. Then relax. Do several times if this area is particularly tense.
Take a few deep abdominal breaths and focus on your head sinking into whatever surface it is resting on.
Tighten your shoulders by raising them up as if you were going to touch your ears. Hold…. Then relax.
Tighten the muscles around your shoulder blades by pushing your shoulder blades back as if you were going to touch them together. Hold…. Then relax. Do this again if the area is particularly tight.
Tighten the muscles of your chest by taking in a deep breath which you hold for up to 10 seconds…. Then slowly release.
Tighten your stomach muscles by sucking your stomach in. Hold…. Then relax. Imagine a wave of relaxation spreading through your abdomen.
Tighten your lower back by arching it up (omit this exercise if you have lower back pain). Hold…. Then relax.
Tighten your buttocks by pulling them together. Hold… then relax. Imagine the muscles in your hips going loose and limp.
Squeeze the muscles in your thighs and hips all the way down to your knees. Hold ….. then relax.
Tighten your calf muscles by pulling your toes toward you (flex carefully to avoid cramps). Hold …. Then relax.
Tighten your feet by curling your toes downward. Hold… then relax.

Bourne, E (2005) The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. New Harbinger Publications, USA.

Centering Exercise

The Eight Senses

When strong feelings emerge, and you want to react, take a few moments to do the following centering exercise:

Sit down in a quiet safe place and take three deep breaths…….

Now take two more breaths more slowly…..more deeply……down into your diaphragm...

Notice where you are sitting…..on a chair…..a couch……a cushion on the floor……..

Touch the chair, couch, cushion….is it soft or firm…..supportive or you need to balance?

Feel the chair, couch, cushion…..is it rough or smooth?…..warm or cool?….notice…..

Breathe deeply…..what can you smell?....coffee?....trees?…..your perfumes?....notice….

Listen……what can you hear?....a clock ticking?......music?.....wind in the trees?...notice..

Look around you….what can you see?.....a colour?....a shape?....an object?....notice….

Focus on your mouth….are there any flavours lingering?....can you taste coffee?...toothpaste?....notice...

Notice your thoughts…..how fast you think….how if you don’t react they are replaced by another thought…and then another….just notice them….don’t react….don’t make a story in your mind about them….just notice………………

Breathe deeper……..and again………notice your emotions…..how they feel in your body…..where in your body you feel them……don’t react to them….just simply notice……don’t make a story in your mind about them….like waves on the beach….they wash in…….and they wash back out…..don’t judge them…just allow them to be……..

Stretch slowly now and rejoin the day…..what choices can you make now?.........

Like any other skill, centering takes practice, not just when things are tense but also when things are calm. Chose a time and place to practice this exercise every day, it only takes 10 minutes, perhaps have your friend, partner, or child read it to you!