***I am not a certified psychologist. I am a twenty-year-old with anxiety issues who has studied a little bit of psych. If you need immediate help for any serious mental health issues for yourself or someone else, consult an actual psychologist or psychiatrist!
I’ve got my fair share of anxiety issues. Who doesn’t in the 21st Cent?
And there a million and one ways to counter anxiety attacks or anxious thoughts. There a ways to calm us down, give our hearts some relief, and let logic seep back into our brain.
Here are some of my favorite tricks:
1. Count Out of Order – Seriously, it works. When your life feels out of order, count out of order. I learned this trick from the Bull, Season 1, Episode 3: “Unambiguous”. In the episode, Dr. Jason Bull helps his defendent Reese with an anxiety attack by having her count out of order. He tells her afterward:
At first, I was sure it was just something made up or perhaps some clever metaphor. Except for the last three weeks, every time I’ve started freaking out about something, I’ve been doing it. The first time, it was a first instinct. Everytime afterward, I figured Huh, this actually works! Now, for all I know, the show’s writers did just make it up but it worked for me, so…
2. Play with a Balloon – I love playing with balloons. And it’s very efficient to simply lay down in bed and toss around a balloon, hitting it back and forth between one hand and another. Gives the mind something to focus on other than your anxiety.
3. Take a Nap – Whether that means you cry yourself to sleep or you just cuddle your blankets in anticipation of passing out, trust me, after you wake up, your head will be a lot clearer and you will be a lot calmer.
4. Drink Some Water – Hydration is important. And drinking water gives you a chance to focus on something other than the situation at hand for a second so you’re hopefully calmer when you get back to dealing with whatever the issue is.
5. Deep Breaths & Breathing Exercises – Again, it’s a way of calming your mind and giving it something to focus on. At the same time, it’s allowing more oxygen to enter your body and brain to reduce any feeling of light-headded-ness. It also reduces the shortness-of-breath sensation that some get when anxiety hits.
