Exercises To Calm Your Anxious Thoughts

Why exercises work for anxiety.

Your body’s stress response can cause anxious thinking and physical symptoms of anxiety. Typical symptoms are increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and tense muscles. Our thoughts typically mirror what our body is experiencing, this serves as an alert that something needs to be addressed! 

Don’t worry, there are a few tried and true ways to decrease your anxiety and allow your body to understand your anxiety.

Deep breathing and belly breaths.

1. Sit in a quiet and comfortable place. Once you are comfortable, place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. You want to focus on making the hand on your stomach move as you breath deep.

2. Take a slow regular breath in through your nose, while slowly exhaling through your mouth.

3. Notice that your hand on your chest should remain still and your hand moving slightly.

4. Repeat this process at least 10 times slow or until you begin to feel your anxiety lessen.

   Relax by visualization.

   1. Sit in a quiet and comfortable place. Once you are comfortable, rest your hands in your lap or arms of the chair. Choose a place and moment when you are not likely to be disturbed.

   2. Take a slow regular breath in through your nose, while slowly exhaling through your mouth.

   3. Gently close your eyes. Picture yourself in a place that evokes comfort, ease, and tranquility.

   4. Utilize your senses; imagine the smell surrounding you, the taste you may experience in the space, what might you hear there? What might you physically feel in that space?

   5. Stay in the space for as long as you’d like imagining your body relaxing from your head to your toes.

   6. When you are ready, count to 10 and slowly open your eyes, you should be ready to bring that calmness into your day.