Self-help anxiety curing techniques can come in handy when the dread of an upcoming work week makes an appearance. I love Fridays! Saturday absolutely rule. But Sundays used to mean the beginning of the end for me. If you work a typical Monday-Friday job you probably feel the same way. Weekends always fly by and Mondays come faster than bullet train.
My Sundays used to ruined by the stress and worry I would put myself through thinking about how hard Monday would be. I wished I could freeze time and make it never come, but we know that doesn't work. Sunday nights were especially gloomy and filled with tension and anxiety. And forget about sleeping. I'd usually lay in bed with negative thoughts racing and feeling my heart rate accelerate. It wasn't until I learned and practiced some self-help anxiety techniques, that I was able to enjoy an entire weekend.
The first thing you have to realize is that Sunday should be a full day free from the worry and anxiety of your occupation. It's insane to bring the stress of a job into this day that should be celebrated equally with Saturday. You might as well go into work on Sunday if you're going to stress out about the upcoming week and get some work done. I mean seriously; why bother?
Sunday should be savored and spent doing the the things you love, with the people you love. You need to start enjoying Sundays immediately in order to effectively reduce anxiety in your life. Sundays are the perfect day for relaxing. You would be doing yourself a favor, allowing yourself to relax free of a normal work day's activities. But siting around relaxing could be a bad idea for some people. If I had nothing to I would normally find plenty or reasons to start worrying about the work week. I'd notice how fast the time would fly by on Sundays and get myself worked up and depressed about the end of the weekend.
If you have a problem enjoying Sundays due to anxiety, the first self-help anxiety method to implement should be to plan something fun. Going to the park to get some exercise with a friend, a bike ride, or playing a sport is a great idea. Anything involving physical activity is preferred since you're not only taking your mind off stressful thoughts, your also working off stress and tension physically. Exercise is an extremely effective self-help anxiety method for reducing anxiety. Getting some physical activity in on a Sunday should make your evening naturally relaxing.
If you're still not able to feel calm try to only think positively about your Monday whenever thoughts arise. Catch yourself whenever you start to worry. Change any negative thoughts quickly to positive ones. I used to steer away from worrisome thoughts by thinking about the great cup of coffee I treat myself to on Monday mornings. There must be something similar that you can find to make you happy about what Monday may bring.
There are plenty of self-help anxiety curing methods that can greatly reduce stress and worry in your life. Seek them out and practice them with full force and you'll soon find yourself to be calmer and happier.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Self-Help Anxiety Breathing Technique: One for the Road
The last self-help anxiety breathing technique was meant to be practiced in calm surroundings. Ideally, we'd like to be able to retreat to a peaceful escape at will, but life's not that simple. Most of the time we're surrounded by noise, stress, and hurry.
The next self-help anxiety breathing technique is meant to be practiced anywhere, and is especially useful when a quiet moment is no where to be found. Each day we're faced with challenges that can rise our levels of anxiety, or even trigger a panic attack. A great way to avoid such occurrences is to identify the moments leading up to an anxiety ridden episode and steer yourself in the opposite direction.
The other day I was having my own edge of insanity moment in my car while driving to work. An early morning bout of anxiety usually begins the same way each time. It starts with me leaving the house too late to arrive at work on time. Then I start internally cursing all the slow and inconsiderate drivers who need to get out of my way and let me get to work on time. It's interesting to observe how your mind works in situations like these. I always laugh at the irony afterwards when I really examine the logic of what I'm getting mad at.
Let me explain...
My mind is saying grouping all the drivers in front of me as "people in my way". People who are slowing me down from achieving my goal of getting to work on time. The truth is just the opposite. I'm in there way!
I'm the one who left late for work. I shouldn't be on the road. I should be at work. But early morning late for work Mike doesn't see things that way. All the drivers on the road don't belong in his opinion. Really funny when you think about it.
Anyway, that's not the point of this post. I just needed to go off on that tangent today. The point of this is the self-help anxiety breathing technique I used to bring me back to a calm center before arriving at work.
I caught my mind thinking in this negative manner early enough. First I admitted defeat and came to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to get to work on time, and it was my own fault since I left the house late. Next I implemented the following simple self-help anxiety breathing technique that you can apply anywhere.
I present to you...
The Anywhere/Anytime Self-Help Anxiety Breathing Technique
1. Take in a deep breath through your nose (keep your eyes open, especially if driving or moving in general).
2. Count to 5 while holding it in. As you do this, feel the oxygen permeate every cell of your body.
3. Gently, breathe out your mouth. Feel those same cells that were infused with oxygen simultaneously release any anxiety your were previously feeling.
4. Repeat this process for a total of 10 breaths and your bound to feel a world of difference when thinking about the state you were in prior to the exercise.
This works for me without fail, whether I'm in the car, standing in line, or arguing with a loved one. Remember to try it the next time you feel anxiety trying to take over, and check back soon for some more self-help anxiety curing strategies.
The next self-help anxiety breathing technique is meant to be practiced anywhere, and is especially useful when a quiet moment is no where to be found. Each day we're faced with challenges that can rise our levels of anxiety, or even trigger a panic attack. A great way to avoid such occurrences is to identify the moments leading up to an anxiety ridden episode and steer yourself in the opposite direction.
The other day I was having my own edge of insanity moment in my car while driving to work. An early morning bout of anxiety usually begins the same way each time. It starts with me leaving the house too late to arrive at work on time. Then I start internally cursing all the slow and inconsiderate drivers who need to get out of my way and let me get to work on time. It's interesting to observe how your mind works in situations like these. I always laugh at the irony afterwards when I really examine the logic of what I'm getting mad at.
Let me explain...
My mind is saying grouping all the drivers in front of me as "people in my way". People who are slowing me down from achieving my goal of getting to work on time. The truth is just the opposite. I'm in there way!
I'm the one who left late for work. I shouldn't be on the road. I should be at work. But early morning late for work Mike doesn't see things that way. All the drivers on the road don't belong in his opinion. Really funny when you think about it.
Anyway, that's not the point of this post. I just needed to go off on that tangent today. The point of this is the self-help anxiety breathing technique I used to bring me back to a calm center before arriving at work.
I caught my mind thinking in this negative manner early enough. First I admitted defeat and came to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to get to work on time, and it was my own fault since I left the house late. Next I implemented the following simple self-help anxiety breathing technique that you can apply anywhere.
I present to you...
The Anywhere/Anytime Self-Help Anxiety Breathing Technique
1. Take in a deep breath through your nose (keep your eyes open, especially if driving or moving in general).
2. Count to 5 while holding it in. As you do this, feel the oxygen permeate every cell of your body.
3. Gently, breathe out your mouth. Feel those same cells that were infused with oxygen simultaneously release any anxiety your were previously feeling.
4. Repeat this process for a total of 10 breaths and your bound to feel a world of difference when thinking about the state you were in prior to the exercise.
This works for me without fail, whether I'm in the car, standing in line, or arguing with a loved one. Remember to try it the next time you feel anxiety trying to take over, and check back soon for some more self-help anxiety curing strategies.
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