Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety
People who suffer from social anxiety disorder find it extremely difficult to relax as there are people all around and social contact is unavoidable. In such situations they need to calm down their nerves and get a hold over things. They need to learn to relax and some easy to use relaxation exercises can work wonders for them. Given below are 4 such easy to follow relaxation techniques for anxiety disorders.
Deep Controlled Breathing Technique
This is a simple method and any therapist will swear by it. It is not only easy but also has a calming effect on the body and mind which can be felt in a few seconds. Deep slow breathing is actually Diaphragmatic Breathing. Here, the diaphragm is expanded and contracted in slow motion to control breathing. During this expansion and contraction process, the stomach expands instead of the chest. You have to breathe in deeply as much as you can, then hold for a few seconds before you breathe out slowly. To keep it synchronized, you can breathe in deep for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds and then start breathing out for 4 seconds. A repetition of this cycle will divert your attention from whatever is causing you anxiety as you concentrate on keeping count. While concentrating on breathing, you will slow down your body functions and come out of the fight or flight mode. This will immediately calm down your nerves and help you gain control over your thoughts and actions. You can then focus better on the task to be completed.
Stop – Think – Proceed
The idea behind this is to tell yourself to take a break from doing any activity which causes anxiety in you. This is also the easiest of the relaxation techniques for anxiety control. Stop the activity that generates stress which builds up into anxiety. While you are away from that activity think of those things which make you happy. Thinking about and visualizing wonderful natural places which you have seen, or remembering some funny incident, or thinking about cuddling up with the person you love will bring a smile on your face. This will allow you some moments of peace and satisfaction. This not only calms your nerves but also allows you to focus better. After spending a few moments in thinking and visualizing, you can go back to your task. You will be able to focus on your task and will do it with a much relaxed state of mind. This can be as simple as taking a break from work or pulling over for a few minutes while driving. A few moments of relaxing thoughts will settle down and soothe your mind relieving you of your anxiety.
* Progressive Muscle Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety–
Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique requires that you concentrate on your body and work to relax your muscles one by one. You can start from the bottom and work upwards through your body relaxing muscles one after another. Twitch and twirl the toes of you feet to relax them. Continue this process with other muscles of your feet and slowly the rest of you body. This will loosen tensed muscles and relax them. While you are engrossed in this process, your mind will relax. After a few moments of twitching and twirling you can resume your work. You will feel more relaxed than before and will be able to concentrate on your work better than before.
* Meditation –
You need to learn to meditate. But once you have mastered it, you will be able to keep anxiety at bay. People who meditate are able to leash their thoughts and concentrate on one task alone. While meditating, you cut off most of the sensors of your body. You close your eyes, forget sound from your ears and almost reject all the signals generated through touch. You have to seat yourself in a comfortable position, either on a chair or on a floor with folder legs. You then concentrate on one thought alone as you control your breathing. This slowly relaxes you mentally and physically. Thus regular meditation can bring about a change in the way you react to stress and you become better capable of handling anxiety.
These are some of the easiest relaxation techniques for social anxiety disorder. However instead of practicing these, people often look elsewhere and rely on costly medicines. With such simple relaxation tips are at hand, you should find it easy to combat social anxiety disorder.
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