Simple Exercise To Help With Anxiety, Panic, Fear, Anger And Overwhelm

Anxiety becomes a problem when it starts to get in the way of everyday life. We all know anxiety is more than just worrying: we tend to experience worry in our heads and anxiety in our bodies.

Students who are anxious are not doing it on purpose, and anxiety left untreated can cause extreme emotional distress which can deeply affect classroom performance. Once anxiety takes hold it can feel really frightening, so are there any strategies that can help?

The good news is, yes there are!

Here is one of my favourite and most helpful exercises which can help to relax the anxious mind by slowing thoughts down and shifting - or diverting - focus away from unpleasant and overwhelming internal feelings that may be being experienced.

One of the best things about this exercise is how portable it is - you can practice it anywhere. It`s particularly effective when you feel yourself becoming anxious.

You are going to be using 3 senses:

• Sight (peripheral vision)
• Hearing
• Touch

This exercise can be done speaking out loud or silently. Do not worry if you need to have a few goes at first, it will get easier with practice. If you find your mind drifting and you need to bring yourself back, just start again.

Here goes:

Sit or lie in a comfortable position and fix your gaze on an object in the room. Start by noticing what you can see in your peripheral vision - what you see out of the corner of your eye. Here is an example of what you might say to yourself:

I can see:

1. The lamp on the table

2. A photo on the bookshelf

3. The clock on the wall

I can hear:

1. A car door slamming

2. The bathroom tap running

3. Children laughing

I can feel:

1. My left hand resting against my left knee

2. The toes of my right foot pressing into the carpet

3. the watch strap wrapped around my right wrist

I can see:

1. My cat sleeping on her blanket
   
   
2. A shopping bag
   
   
3. My pink slippers
   

I can hear:

1. The swooshing and whirling of the washing machine

2. A radio playing

3. Raindrops falling against the roof

I can feel:

1. Strands of hair tickling the side of my face
   
   
2. My tongue resting snugly against the roof of my mouth
   
   
3. The warmth of the radiator on my body

I can see:

Coloured paperclips on my desk

I can hear:

The chair creaking as I move my position

I can feel:

My legs crossed at my ankles

(Continue as necessary)

With regular practice this exercise will become easier. As you are doing the exercise, remember to slow down your breathing: slowly count to 6 as you breathe in, and then slowly count to 6 as you exhale. Once you are used to the exercise you will feel yourself relaxing.