Anxiety can rear its ugly head in countless ways. How does anxiety present itself to you? Is it a tightness in your chest? Does it make you feel nauseous or sick to your stomach? Do you sense that something is wrong without being able to identify what that “something” is? However you experience anxiety, let’s face it… it’s uncomfortable and downright scary at times. Luckily, one of the best tools for anxiety treatment is the one thing closest to you… your body!
Being in tune with how you are physically feeling in your body can help you zero in on what you need in that moment.
This will help you decrease anxiety and help you get the most from anxiety treatment.
How often do you stop for a moment and realize you’ve been clenching your jaw for the past few minutes? Or maybe that your shoulders have been raised the whole time you’ve been “relaxing” watching tv? Sometimes reminding your body to physically relax can do wonders for your mental state. 
When you find yourself being a bit tense, try a technique called Progressive Muscle Relaxation, which works by having you tense different parts of your body with the intention of relaxing them after a few seconds. Begin with your face, shut your eyes tightly and clench your jaw. Furrow your eyebrows and even purse your lips. With all of these parts tense and tightened, take notice of how it feels and hold it for about 3 seconds, then relax your face. Notice the feeling of release and the fully relaxed feeling in your facial muscles. Next move on to your shoulders. Raise them up, maybe even try to touch your shoulders to your ears! After holding your shoulders in this position for 3 seconds, let your shoulders drop. Once again, take notice of the feeling of tension being replaced by relaxation and looseness. Repeat this process throughout your body, all the way down to your toes. Take your time and pay attention to how each part of your body feels when tensed and relaxed.
Helping your body practice relaxing with intention can help you be more mindful of times when you are feeling anxiety and your body is in need of some stretching or loosening up.
Do you ever get overtaken with a feeling of nausea or dizziness and struggle to think of what’s making you feel that way? Was it something you ate or drank? Did you go too hard on your run this morning? Sometimes, the answer is anxiety.
Better understanding how your body experiences anxiousness can help you make anxiety treatment even more effective.
In times when you can identify these physical symptoms as anxiety, you can more quickly implement coping skills that work for you. Whether it’s breathing techniques, distractions, challenging anxious thoughts or even Progressive Muscle Relaxation, understanding why your body is feeling the way it does can help utilize these skills more quickly to help you feel better.
How often do you find yourself taking shallow breaths? Or feel as though your heart is racing? These could sometimes be some of the scariest physical manifestations of anxiety, and even cause you to feel as though something is biologically wrong with you. Becoming more aware of ways anxiety can be affecting you in this way can assist in taking a significant amount of stress and worry off of you, and help you be able to normalize how you’re feeling in these moments.
Once these physical symptoms of anxiety have been identified and the initial fear subsides, you can begin to implement coping skills, which will aid anxiety treatment.
In times that you are experiencing shallow breaths or nausea, breathing techniques are a wonderful tool for anxiety treatment. Though it can sound like the simplest thing in the world, breathing techniques can also be one of the most helpful tools to relax your body.
With presence and awareness, breathe in for 4 full seconds through your nose. Notice the way the air feels as it enters your nostrils and the way your chest expands as your lungs make room. Hold the breath in for another 4 seconds, while being aware of the fullness in your chest, then release for another 4 seconds through your mouth. What does it feel like as the breath leaves your body? Repeat this process as needed, while doing your best to be mindful of what you’re doing, instead of focusing on the thing that invoked the feelings of anxiety.
While most people experience some level of anxiety, the type and intensity of our symptoms greatly vary.
Being more in touch with how you personally experience anxiety can help you to identify coping skills and strategies to better personalize your anxiety treatment. If you need help better understanding your anxiety, we’re here for you! Anxiety is scary, and we want to help you tackle it. You, and your anxiety, are welcome here.
Ready to Start Therapy to Help With Your Anxiety in Florida?
Beginning the journey to your best self is easier than most of the things we’re all doing right now! Trauma therapy does not have to wait. You can get the mental health support you need with a skilled therapist in St. Pete or with online therapy in Florida. To begin, just follow these simple steps:
- Contact us to request an appointment
- Meet with one of our experienced therapists.
- Get support & begin your journey toward mental wellness & connection today!
Other Mental Health and Wellness Services at ME-Therapy
At ME-Therapy, we believe in the importance of mental, emotional & physical wellbeing. Our therapists want to help your mind but also want to feed your soul. This means we take a holistic approach to mental health. In order to do this, we offer a wide range of mental health services in our St. Petersburg office and online including therapy for women, therapy for men, trauma therapy, therapy for anxiety, art therapy, and holistic, spiritual therapy. For couples and relationships, we want you to know that our relationship therapists are here for you ALL. In addition to marriage counseling, we provide sex therapy, affair recovery counseling, and poly-friendly kink aware therapy.
