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

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.

Walk. Just get up off your ass and walk. It's easy and accessible to nearly everyone. Walk. Move your ass through time and space.

March like an automaton if you have to, just walk. You can refine techniques later. Just walk. MOVE. Our minds and brains are not wired to sit on a couch.

Funny how many people say this is how they started to manage their mental health.

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

I sit out with my chickens. I'm raising chicks now too, and they like to climb on me. Both are very relaxing.

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??

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.

Weed.

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.

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... 😜

Ujjayi breathing

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

Wrestling/play fighting/cuddling/snuggling

Petting dogs

Journaling

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.

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.

5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise

Identify:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can feel
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

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

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.

Daily meditation reliably makes me feel about 10% better

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

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

Reading a book Drinking tea — not just as a replacement for coffee; it has a calming effect Petting my cats Exercise lets me expend nervous energy and leaves me relaxed

For short term relief/emotional regulation my counsellor taught me TIPP Temperature - cold water/ice/object to lower heart rate Intense exercise - a few mins of jumping jacks/running on the spot/shaking it off Paced breathing/box breathing Paired muscle relaxation - tense and relax different muscle groups

When I'm anxious I tend to get overactive so the ones that help me most are splashing cold water on my face and the intense exercise.

Anxiety during bedtime or if I have time during the day, ASMR or a well paced peaceful podcast also do the trick.

I think I will try the slower speed music, that sounds interesting.

Read the parable about "the tigers and the strawberry".

Always ask yourself "what is the best possible thing I can actually do right now"

Going for a walk.

Cleaning.

Minecraft, soo much minecraft...

Break down the issue into smaller tasks.

None. I need hard drugs. (I don't do hard drugs yet.)

Comedy. Watch something funny. It's hard to be anxious and amused at the same time, and at least for me, the amusement wins.

I also have a soft plush that I find soothing but ymmv on that one. I don't even know why it calms me down, it's not a childhood toy or anything.