Breathing Exercise to Reduce Anxiety
This global pandemic is something that is upsetting the fabric of our life. No matter where you fall on the spectrum in terms of its impact on your life directly, you may find your anxiety is through the roof…and it makes all the sense in the world. While many of our stressors have stayed the same or increased, many of our outlets for relieving stress are not currently an option.
Many people find that simply paying attention to and tolerating their personal experience of anxiety helps to reduce it, and that connecting their feelings to something universally human helps as well. So here is an exercise to try if you’d like some help in working with your anxiety.
Time to set aside: 3-10 minutes
Take a few breaths as your turn your attention inward. No need to change anything, just notice.
Start labeling what you notice: sensations, emotions, thoughts. (If you get swept up in thoughts, that’s okay. Just notice what the content is, label it, and know it’s just part of your experience.) You may want to “scale” your anxiety between 0 (no anxiety) and 10 (unbearable anxiety).
Let yourself know that whatever you’re experiencing right now is completely normal. In fact, there are innumerable people having a similar experience at this very moment all over the world. Then imagine it: Your connection to others who are struggling so similarly to you, focusing on this awareness of your connection.
Whenever you’re ready, next notice where your anxiety is at on that scale between 0-10 again. Just take it as information. If the sensations and anxious thoughts have reduced even by 1, consider setting aside time to do this practice again.
Thank yourself for being willing to try a new experiment. See if you can really feel that appreciation for yourself and soak it up.
Perhaps you did this exercise and it was useful. Or you’ll notice yourself taking bits and pieces and trying it out in a less structured way.
Sometimes, however, it’s difficult to reduce your anxiety alone. If you find you want some extra support, I’d be glad to chat with you to see if working together via therapy might make sense. I provide video and phone sessions to folks who live within the state of California. Email me at: genoa.hamiel@gmail.com