5 Mindfulness Techniques to Reduce Your Anxiety During An Anxious Moment
Being caught in an anxious moment can be extremely debilitating. How you feel during that moment can range from butterflies in your stomach to a full-on panic attack. And while it’s normal to experience anxiety from time to time, I’m talking about the feelings you have due to an anxiety disorder.
Most of the time it’s like your foot is on the gas pedal, slightly revving the engine of a car, while your other foot is still on the brake. I’ve also heard it described as a low-grade fever … subtle and in the background, but you know it’s there. And then every once and a while nervousness, a racing heart beat, muscle tension, sweating, trembling and an overactive mind sneak into your experience as anxiety completely takes over. You’re left feeling overwhelmed, scared, and unsure of what to do next. I get it because I’ve been there too - A LOT. And even though I still have anxious moments, I’ve learned how to remain more calm and relaxed, and I want the same for you. Today I’m sharing how you can better manage your anxiety with confidence and ease by using mindfulness techniques during anxious moments.
When You Are Caught In An Anxious Moment
It can be really hard to remember what to do when you are caught in an anxious moment because your prefrontal cortex (your cognitive, thinking brain) turns off and your amygdala (emotional brain) ends up running the show. The body thinks it’s in danger and you immediately go into threat mode. To turn the thinking brain back on so that you can better manage your anxiety, there are a few key things to remember.
First, notice when you are feeling anxious. Think of it like snapping a rubber band on your wrist. You need that “ah-ha” moment to create just a little bit of space between anxiety and your reaction to it so that the mind can start to think things through. Each of us will feel anxiety differently, so learn to recognize the symptoms you experience in an anxious moment. You might notice:
Scattered thoughts, unable to concentrate
Irritability or tension in the muscles of your body
Sweating or heart racing
Trembling in the limbs - like you need to shake off the excess energy in the body (this is what happens to me)
Shortness of breath
General Restlessness
Once you recognize that you are caught in an anxious moment, you might say out loud, “I’m feeling anxious right now.” That statement alone can wake you up to the present moment and snap the thinking brain back into action.
Second, find self compassion. Remember that you are not your anxiety. You HAVE anxiety and in this anxious moment you are experiencing a physical reaction to a perceived threat. You can’t just snap out of it or make it go away. Instead of beating yourself up, remember that you are a person worthy of love - it is your birthright! When you recognize you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, instead of getting down on yourself, simply say to yourself, “Even though I am feeling anxious, I know I will be OK.” Give yourself permission to be kind to yourself. This simple act of self-compassion can be exactly what is needed to shift your perspective in a difficult moment of anxiety.
Finally, remember impermanence. According to one of the most fundamental teachings of Buddhism, everything born out of causes and conditions will change - nothing is permanent. Feelings of excitement will fade away, anger will eventually subside and even an anxious moment will eventually move through. I know that it’s really hard to imagine ever feeling better when you are dealing with anxiety. But, if you can remind yourself that this feeling will pass and that you’ll feel less anxious again, you can create just enough space for the mind to realize it can choose a different reaction, and possibly try on one of the below mindfulness techniques to ease your pain.
Five Mindfulness Techniques to Use During an Anxious Moment
Anxiety creeps in when you are not living in the present moment. You’re physically somewhere, but your mind is bouncing around between worries of the past or concerns about the future. The present moment lives between the past and the future and it is the only thing that exists. When you focus your awareness on the “here and now”, your racing thoughts no longer have power, which will relax the body and mind, allowing you to feel more free to experience life to the fullest. So, the following mindfulness techniques are all about bringing your awareness back to the present moment when you are feeling extremely anxious.
You’ll notice that the first three techniques involve the breath. The breath and the body truly live in the present moment, and the breath is directly connected to the flow of energy in your body. So, it makes sense when people say, “Take a deep breath” when they are encouraging you to calm down.
However, if shortness of breath is one of your anxiety symptoms, bringing your awareness to your breath may actually be a bit more triggering. Therefore, I would suggest trying one of the last two options instead.
Letting Go Breath
This is my immediate go-to when I notice I’m feeling anxious. After saying to yourself, “oh, just thinking again” inhale deeply through your nose and then exhale a sigh out of your mouth. Think about exhaling about 6 inches away from your mouth so you don’t release good energy. You just want to exhale out the negative sensations. Repeat this at least three times, letting go of all that is bothering you on the exhale.
Three Part Breathing
Research shows that taking a deep breath into the lower lobes of your lungs triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the “rest, restore, digest, pause and plan” relaxation response. When the parasympathetic nervous system is online, your prefrontal cortex can kick back in. The focus of this breath is to lower the diaphragm so that you can get your breath down into those lower lobes of the lungs.
Place one hand on your belly and the other on your heart. Inhale and press your belly out into your hand, which will lower the diaphragm down. Then, continue inhaling and let the breath rise up into your ribs and then into the hand at your chest. Think about filling the entire lung capacity from the bottom up. On the exhale, think about releasing the breath from the top to the bottom - first your chest releases, then your ribs and then pull the belly back in. This presses the diaphragm up and allows for the air in the lower lobes to be fully released. Do this for at least 3-5 rounds, or as long as you need. When your mind starts to wonder, bring your awareness back to your body and notice the belly rising and falling.
Count The Breath with a Longer Exhale
When your exhale is a bit longer than your inhale, the vagus nerve (which runs down the neck through the diaphragm) signals your brain to slow down your sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze, faint) and turn up your parasympathetic nervous system (calm, digest, rest, restore). Breathing in and out through the nose, inhale and count to 2, pause and then exhale and count to 4. Pause again before starting the next inhale. Start with this 2 and 4 ratio, and then try something a bit longer. Maybe inhale to the count of 3 and then exhale to the count of 6. And then inhale to the count of 4 and exhale to the count of 8. Try this technique for at least 3-5 minutes to notice it’s effects.
Bring your Awareness Downward
Awareness is the ability to directly know, feel, or be cognizant of events. Energy is the life-force that exists within and around the physical body. In yoga, we call this energy prana, the vital life force that sustains life everywhere. Therefore, you are a being of awareness (mind/thinking) and you are a being of energy (prana). Together, your energy goes where your focus flows.
When you’re feeling anxious, your awareness is up in your head and externally focused. When this happens your energy scatters, moves up and out of the body, which will leave you feeling tired and depleted. When you focus your awareness downward, energy will follow, returning back to the body and slowing down the nervous system so that you feel more calm and grounded.
In an anxious moment, bring your awareness to your feet and really notice all the parts of your feet that are connected to your shoes, the ground, etc. Lean forward and back and feel your weight shift. Softly bend your knees and feel the heat build in your leg bones and ankles. Keep your awareness here for a few moments and notice the shift in your energy.
One-Pointedness
Another quick way to bring your awareness back to the present moment is to use your five senses. The moment you realize you are caught in anxiety, and you’ve said “Oh, just thinking”, notice five things that you see right now. Focus on the color, the texture, the brightness, etc. How curious can you be about the objects you see?
Or, close your eyes and notice the sounds around you. The sounds that are close and the sounds that are farther away. Focus on those sounds and get very curious about each one.
You can also do this with touch, smell and if you are eating you can do it with the taste sense as well. The idea is to get as detailed as you can about what you are seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, or tasting. Your awareness will return to the present moment as you feel more grounded and calm.
So there you have it! Five mindfulness techniques that will bring your anxious mind back to the present moment and give you the confidence you need to better manage your anxiety. As with most suggestions I share, make sure to try a few at first to see which ones resonate for you. Practice them when you aren’t feeling incredibly anxious to see how you feel. Then, in the moment, you’ll be ready to grab the one that works best for you! And, to help you remember these techniques, download and print my FREE Guide to Reduce Your Anxiety In The Moment, which walks you through these exact steps so you can start to feel better right away!