by Mark Sichel

Created on: June 02, 2008

There are two tools you can use RIGHT NOW to ease the symptoms of stress. There are, of course, many treatments to consider that may generate more permanent recovery from anxiety. Examples are cognitive or behavioral therapy and anti-anxiety medications. There are also important life style changes that will help not only anxiety and worry, but will promote overall well-being and health. If, however, you need something immediate to ease your anxiety symptoms, the two techniques that work instantly are BREATHING EXERCISES and VISUALIZATIONS.

BREATHING EXERCISES:
The first thing you need to do, of course, is to calm down. If you can reduce your anxiety, you'll be much more able to learn, remember, and integrate new strategies into your life. If you are able to relax a little more, your overall feelings of panic will diminish. I'm not suggesting as sometimes other people do, "Relax, it's nothing. Get over it!" They're wrong about that. Anxiety and panic attacks are a big deal. At bet they're frightening and generally they're terrifying. Clearly, you would relax if you could. Breathing exercises and visualizations are tools that therapists use to help their clients calm down. Try to calm yourself down and follow the directions here, as learning tools for relaxation will help you get a rapid handle on managing and reducing your symptoms.

Our thoughts are intimately related to our bodily functions. When you think anxious, upsetting, and aggravating thoughts, your breathing will become rapid and shallow. At the same time, if you are breathing in a "nervous" way, rapidly and shallowly, you will not be able to think rationally or clearly. Your ability to calm yourself is diminished because your irregular breathing is preventing you from thinking clearly.

Therefore, you have a choice:
1. Change your thinking - your breathing will get deeper and slower
2. Change your breathing - your thinking will get calmer and clearer

Here is an opportunity to learn both about your breathing as well as about your thoughts and how to control them.

Read through this exercise first and then try it on your own. If you can control your breathing, you will have an easier time controlling your thoughts.

Sit back in your seat.

Close your eyes.

Take a deep breath.

Good.

Breathe again.

Now make your hands comfortable, while keeping your eyes closed. You have a choice of any comfortable hand position. We suggest one of the following three positions:

1. One hand on your belly, one on your chest
2. Palms of hands

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