I get it, anxiety can strike fast and hot. Sometimes you're not really sure what the cause is, and other times you know exactly what's caused the feelings of dread.
Either way, we all want anxiety to pass quickly and not have it interfere with the day to day functioning.
So here are my top 5 steps for moving past your feelings of anxiety quickly:
1. Tune Into Your Senses
When you're in the midst of a stressful experience or feeling anxious, it's easy to get stuck in your head and the swirl of thoughts that can often be irrational. One of the fastest ways to reduce your anxiety is to get out of your head and a great way to do this is to bring your attention to your senses.
What can you see? What can you hear? What can you smell? What can you touch? What can you taste? We have a range of products that can support you with this...such as grabbing for one of our fidgets, smelling an essential oil roller on your wrists, reading an affirmation card and more. This is the act of mindfulness and is a great first step to bringing your attention to things other than what's causing you anxiety.
2. Ground Yourself
Along with bringing your attention away from your anxious thoughts, you can also physically ground + relax your body. This might include sitting on a chair with your feet firmly on the ground, going and laying out on the grass, walking barefoot on the beach...or quite simply getting down and laying on the floor at your house.
Oftentimes I'll find myself sitting on the floor in my kitchen or laying on my yoga mat in the lounge room if I'm feeling overwhelmed and like I need to ground myself. It helps me to regulate my system and get some clear thoughts running again.
3. Pattern Interrupt
Another great step to reducing your anxiety, especially if it's verging on panic, is to introduce a pattern interrupt. Basically this means interrupting your current stream of consciousness. This could include playing some loud music and jumping around your kitchen, hopping in the shower or bath with one of our shower steamers or relaxing bath salts, saying some positive affirmations out loud, putting on your favourite tv show or anything else that helps you to switch things up.
My favourite pattern interrupt is a nice warm bath or shower. It helps me reset in the morning or night...or if I'm not feeling my best during the day I can hop in the shower and reset. My next go to is my Spotify playlist of songs I love to sing and dance too.
4. Get Some Perspective
Sometimes your thoughts can feel so real that it can be helpful to get some outside perspective or reassurance. This could be supporting yourself to do this through journaling or diary writing - especially with our journal workbooks for different concerns. Or it could be speaking to your partner/friend/family about what you're feeling and getting some perspective on managing your situation and concerns.
I recommend leaning on someone who understands anxiety or has experienced similar situations to you so that you feel understood, heard and safe when sharing.
5. Tap Into Your Supports
If none of the above options are making a difference for you, it might be time to tap into some of your supports. This could be a personal support such as a friend/partner/family member or a professional support such as a psychologist or doctor.
Soon you'll be able to access hourly sessions with our range of qualified experts through the Calm Cabana website.
Until then, if you feel like your anxiety is becoming unmanageable we recommend connecting with your doctor to organise some professional support.