Series: What are your tried-and-proven tricks for relaxing/relieving anxiety

**Preferably non-substance/drug

I'll share a couple:

4 7 8 breathing

ears underwater

music/audio at slower speed (0.6-0.9)

Let's hear em. I might want to do a series for various conditions or states so stay tuned and lets crowd-source this shit, enough of the "read my new/old 400pg tome for an introduction". 🤮 Distill

Kolanaki ,
@Kolanaki@yiffit.net avatar

Weed.

OpenStars ,
@OpenStars@discuss.online avatar

Long-term: facing them and dealing with the source. e.g. I would get nervous about job interviews, but like... as I should, right!? Bc it means that I care about the outcome. Nothing will ever reduce that, except experience doing it over and over, but in the meantime that fight or flight response "helps" to go over everything, e.g. to practice and prepare in all the various ways needed.

Short-term: reading a new/old 400pg tome for an introduction to some random topic... 😜

Adudethatis ,

Progressive meditation.
1 minute a day for a week
5 minutes a day for a week
I personally used openmindapp.org- got to the point where I was doing the much longer choices as the weeks progressed.

treefrog , (edited )

Beta blockers - they don't cross the blood brain barrier and help calm the adrenaline response. If you're prone to panic, anxiety, trauma triggers, etc. They're very helpful for my CPTSD triggers.

Qi Gong

Listening to a Plum Village dharma talk.

Walking meditation is good when very restless or anxious. Body scans when trying to build deep states of physical relaxation. Sitting meditation for deep mental calm.

Pendulation works well when working on an overwhelming task. Permission to take small bites/small steps out of something difficult essentially.

Reminding myself that the stressor and the sensations of stress are all temporary is good for acute stress, but chronic stress can require radical acceptance instead and changes in lifestyle/habits/thinking patterns.

Oh I almost forgot, switching from coffee to tea. Although I don't do that most mornings. When I skip the coffee my anxiety is much less.

cheese_greater OP ,

Second walking(-meditation)

Walking is inherently calming and gets you out of your head and into your body even if your mind fights it

Also tea

treefrog ,

Walking meditation is just walking while bringing your attention intentionally to your body and your breathing as it's moving through space.

It's like walking while really enjoying walking. Minimizing distractions like thinking or a radio or conversation or whatever.

But seconding just walking all the same. As a teenager I used to put on my walkman and go for walks when I was pissed off at my parents.

berryjam ,

Ujjayi breathing

Working out (intensely enough to get your heart rate up)

Wrestling/play fighting/cuddling/snuggling

Petting dogs

Journaling

Modva ,

How is it possible you're the only one talking about snuggling and cuddling?

Everyone else doing it wrong or something.

I'll add star gazing. For me that's an insane relaxant.

berryjam ,

Maybe I'm just an expert snuggler 😎

Modva ,

Maybe. Someday in the distant future someone will invent a technology which can validate bold theories like that. Whoever gets that right will be insanely rich.

You'd be able to post on a forum and have a validated rank 5 snuggler badge or something, and everyone would know you're pro. Go on talk shows, maybe start a product line of high performance pillows.

I could go on, but there's an insane sandwich here that's staring me down

bear ,

Meditation. Close your eyes, breathe normally, relax your body, and calm your mind. I go for a minute to an hour depending on things.

TachyonTele ,

My ex used to massage the anxiety out of my arms from shoulders to fingers like toothpaste. It was great. If you have someone close, try it.

Playing an instrument works wonders too.

cheese_greater OP ,

Cat does that

Drunemeton ,
@Drunemeton@lemmy.world avatar

What instrument does your cat play!?

Drunemeton ,
@Drunemeton@lemmy.world avatar

Rainy Mood

Don’t get the app, it’s not nearly as good.

You’re walking through a 3D soundscape of rain on a loop.

otacon239 ,

I can recommend myNoise if you’re looking for an app with quality soundscapes. Unfortunately not free for all of them, but they are all very high quality and they offer an unlock all option.

Gerudo ,

My dogs are probably the best at it.
Then weed does a great job dealing with my migraines, so that also helps with anxiety.
Music helps on occasion.

shinigamiookamiryuu ,

I don't know, ears underwater sound like torture. Anything with water does if I'm not drinking it.

I often hear questions worded as "how to deal with anxiety" a lot, and it feels like someone asking how to survive a fall when it's the sudden stop that kills you. More on point, my last anxiety attack was after my mum's funeral where it was discovered my siblings planned on ghosting me. It is unclear if this was repressed emotion or something new inspired this sentiment. I went home, and, after thinking about it, just cried. No bandage can do more than keep the wound closed.

If it means anything, I am a thinker at heart. Let me think my worries over and maybe I'll find peace.

Crackhappy ,
@Crackhappy@lemmy.world avatar

Worry and worry. Let me hug you.

shinigamiookamiryuu ,

Thanks hugs you too

Thorny_Insight ,

Daily meditation reliably makes me feel about 10% better

howler ,
@howler@lemmy.zip avatar

Yoga.

It helps me put my mind in blank, focuses me on the task at hand and helps me with cramped muscles due to tension.

Journaling.

I don't write daily, but like twice a week or when shit hits the fan. By writing down the situation, it kinda leaves my mind and I can assess it better, if that makes sense??

RandomlyRight ,

I recently bought an acupressure mat for this and really like it so far. Many people said it helps them with anxiety and also the tension in muscles caused by it.

Also weighted blankets are recommended by many, but I didn’t like it too much

amphetaminisiert ,

Drinking wine and beer. In 2 days im going to rehab, this has gotten on for too long 🥲

Blumpkinhead ,

Good luck!

TachyonTele ,

Stick with it and don't try to leave just because you want to. Stay until you're actually good to go.

Best of luck! You got this.

stoy ,

I see that this is the day, I wish you all the best and know that realizing the issue and doing something about it is a huge step on the way!

You are doing good!

Persen ,

Stimming (I'm autististic, so it probably doesn't apply to the general population)

5wim ,

autististic

Repeating patterns, checks out

Persen ,

Well shit. I should proofread my posts. How did I even write this wrong?

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