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Anxiety can be triggered by almost anything – Sometimes it’s triggered by a person, or a place or a situation and sometimes you might just feel anxious, but not really know what’s triggered it.

You might notice a whole range of feelings and thoughts come up quite suddenly. Feeling worried, restless and having trouble with focus and concentration are all common. You might also experience pains in the tummy, headaches, sweating, nausea, muscle tension, heart beating fast, shallow breathing – these are some of the ways in which you might experience anxiety in your body.

You might not know what to do about anxiety, or even if there’s much that you can do to that will help. Here are my top 5 Anxiety Busting Tips.

  • Taking a mindfulness approach, you can bring attention and awareness to your breathing and begin with what is called “belly breathing” or ‘yogic breath”. This is breathing in and out through the nose and allowing the belly to gently expand as you breathe in and to soften as you breathe out. Belly breathing triggers the relaxation response in the body and you will notice that you feel calmer and relaxed after a few minutes of practice.
  • Acknowledging anxiety and just saying to yourself – “I’m noticing some anxious thoughts or feelings” – and actually turning towards it can also be helpful. Many people try to hide the fact that they’re feeling anxious, not wanting to say anything about it or letting other people know. Turning towards a trusted friend or family member and just saying it out aloud “I’m feeling anxious” or “I’m feeling worried” – you will get an understanding and compassionate response.
  • When you are anxious, you might notice your body feeling restless and that trying to sit quietly makes you feel even more anxious. This is normal and instead of forcing yourself to be quiet or still, try going for a brief walk or doing some gentle stretches. Yoga and mindful movement will also help calm your body and mind.
  • Simply moving your body – you can do it to music if you like– opening and closing your hands, shaking your hands, gently shaking your body – and “be like a jellyfish”. This will make you want to smile too, which is a very good thing.
  • Humming breathing. Taking an inhalation through the nose, bringing your lips together and breathing out–allowing your lips to vibrate softly making a ‘vvvv ‘ humming sound – a bit like the sound a honey bee makes. Continue from the beginning in this way for 5 breaths and then go back to normal breathing.

    Having some strategies you can practice when you notice anxious thoughts and feelings coming up, will help you manage anxiety day by day