Emergency kit for reducing anxiety: 10 strategies that work for me
I experience anxiety from time to time. The type of anxiety that often creeps up unannounced, and then unleashes havoc on my day-to-day life. It has at times consumed me - to the point where I can’t think of anything else.
It comes and goes. Often, it is some psychosomatic issue that leaves me feeling worried about my health. So worried that I think I’m on the brink of a terrible illness, or worse. It was particularly bad during my PhD, when I was really stressed out (and not really acknowledging just how stressed I was). I started identifying all these ‘symptoms’, and convinced myself that they were the first in an awful trajectory. It has made me amazed at what the mind can do to the body. I would literally have physical symptoms.
It was also bad during both my pregnancies. And it cropped up again during the long winter lockdown.
During this past spring, I started getting heart palpitations. At first they didn’t bother me, but then they increased in frequency to the point where they were happening all the time.
Something inside of me knew that, although I was terrified and really believed there was a problem with my heart, it was the anxiety speaking. I decided that I wasn’t going to let anxious thoughts take over my life again, so I came up with my own anxiety-busting emergency kit. These are ideas and strategies that I’ve used to attempt to nip the anxiety in the bud, and not let it consume my life.
I can’t say that this emergency kit is 100% effective, but I can say that these techniques have helped immensely. They have also make me feel more in control of my thoughts and feelings.
I’ve never been clinically diagnosed (nor even discussed this with a medical professional directly), and I’m certainly no expert. These are simply ideas that have worked for me. Perhaps you’re in a similar type of anxious state. Perhaps you’re after some simple strategies that you can implement NOW to do SOMETHING to quench your anxious thoughts. In case this is true, I decided to outline my anxiety-busting emergency kit and try to offer some ideas to you. I hope you find them helpful.
A quick note and warning: these techniques are probably only effective so far. If you feel like you have more complex problems, and these strategies are not improving things for you at all, then go ahead and seek professional advice.
Anxiety-reducing strategy 1: Slow down
Even though ‘action is the antidote to anxiety’, the first thing I do when I feel anxious thoughts invading my brain is to slow down.
Keith King, a researcher from the University of Cincinnati, suggests to SPB:
Stop
Pause
Breathe
The next thing I would recommend doing is to HALT - yes, another acronym.
Note: you’ll find these ideas as part of a pdf worksheet I have created for you to devise your own anxiety busting plan. Sign up to my email list and download it for free by clicking the button below.
I actually read about HALTing in a book by neuropsychiatrist David Siegel and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson called, The Whole Brain Child. They insist on using the HALT technique when there seems to be something wrong with your child, but you don’t really know what is going on.
Ask: is it?
Hunger?
Anger?
Loneliness?
Tiredness?
Siegel and Bryson argue that these are easy fixes: ‘often kids are doing their best; they just need us to attend to their basic needs…don’t forget about the simple and the obvious, the little things you already know. Common sense can take you a long way.’
While this is a brilliant technique for dealing with children (it’s amazing what a snack can do!), I think this technique can work just as well for adults as well (again, it’s amazing what a snack can do!) - especially when you feel the anxiety creeping up and you don’t quite know what to do. Start with simple first.
Anxiety-reducing strategy 2: Move
In keeping with the simple theme, the next port of call is: movement.
Deep breathing or meditation
Bonus: these can be done in a variety of environments and don’t need any equipment.
I particularly like these guided breathwork videos:
Or, simply breathing in, holding for five seconds, and breathing out
Yoga
I really enjoy Yoga with Adriene. She has a whole playlist called ‘Yoga for Mental Health’, which includes some practices that are specific for anxiety. She also has a really calming voice and way of speaking; something that I appreciate greatly when I am already in an anxious state!
Yoga expert Gurmukh also provides some useful ways to work through your emotions with yoga. She says to ‘laugh and sweat’ everyday - advice I find useful all the time.
Walking
There is a lot of scientific and descriptive evidence to suggest that walking can have a positive impact on mental health (who doesn’t feel better after a walk?). Apparently Tim Ferriss walks for hours most days and claims it helps with his depression.
I like to fulfil these criteria for my walking ventures:
Preferably alone (but my 1.5 year old in the pram is generally okay if there’s no other option).
The longer the better.
Relaxed, yet a relatively fast pace.
I either listen to music, a podcast, or nothing (depending on how deep I am into the anxious thoughts - sometimes when I’m really sidetracked by them I like to listen to something that will take my mind off of my thoughts).
Other forms of movement and exercise
Research studies have found that those that exercise ‘vigorously and regularly’ are 25 percent less likely to develop an anxiety disorder within five years. This is definitely some solid reasoning to keep up a regular and intensive exercise routine.
You can find a bunch of (mostly free) resources I use to ensure that I exercise at home everyday here.
Anxiety-reducing strategy 3: Talk
As in: talk to someone.
It is really easy to exaggerate things in your own head, when you’re sitting there keeping all your anxious thoughts tucked away inside. You may even (like I’m prone to do), find yourself staring down (or trapped inside) an internet rabbit hole, with a bunch of examples confirming your anxieties. If you’ve been around here a while, you’ll know that I am not a fan of internet rabbit holes, especially when it comes to health.
It can get really out of hand really quickly.
Sometimes, though, explaining what you’re feeling to someone you trust can be enough to snap yourself out of your anxious state. Just having someone else say: ‘No way, it’s not that. Perhaps it’s this (insert much more reasonable and less scary thing/explanation)’, can completely change your mind.
It can be a bit intimidating to talk about these things. Yes, I too have a whole bunch of guilt and shame and fear associated with the fact that I have these anxious thoughts. This is why I recommend choosing the person you trust wisely - for me, it’s my husband: he knows all about my ‘crazies’, and I know he won’t judge me for them. Even still, I’ll often begin the conversation with: ‘So, I think it’s my anxiety talking, but I’ve been thinking about…’ Or, other times, I’ll just burst into tears….
Even if it doesn’t fully dissipate my anxiety, often something he says in response will at least make me take a pause before diving down an internet rabbit hole the next time I have the chance.
Anxiety-reducing strategy 4: Write
Maybe you don’t have someone you trust to talk to. Maybe you do, but you still don’t feel comfortable talking to them. Maybe you’re just not the ‘talking’ kind of person. Maybe you process things better in a different way.
If any of these is you, then I recommend writing next.
There’s a whole bunch of research to suggest that writing about traumatic experiences can have a profoundly positive impact on your mental health. In fact, I’m working on a book (it’s still in the very initial stages), that explores this very topic! Stay tuned!
Point is, it probably won’t hurt and it might also do a lot of good.
Write in whatever format you prefer, including:
Journalling
List making
Poetry
Short stories
Songs….
Don’t worry too much about the quality: the point is to dive as deeply as possible into your anxieties, so that you can start addressing them.
Anxiety-reducing strategy 5: Seek simple pleasures
You know, those things that slow the mind and put things into perspective.
Often, anxious thoughts show up in response to a threat that is not currently present (or may not even exist - yet, or ever). By focusing instead on what is exactly in front of you, you might be able to curtail these types of anxious thoughts.
Here are some really simple, pleasurable activities that I like to do to get me back into the present and ‘take my mind off’ my seemingly all-encompassing anxious thoughts.
Read
I always notice that my breath slows straight away. Best to pick something really engaging.
Listen to music
Pick something that draws you in emotionally. For me it’s either Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Thunder Road’, or Tori Amos’ ‘Gold Dust’.
Laugh
Maybe watch a funny video. Try this one about cats.
Have a bath
Perhaps you can combine this with some of the other simple pleasures.
Hug
Give someone (either a person or an animal) a proper heart to heart hug.
Hydrate
Drink a glass of water slowly and with intention.
Write your own list of simple feel-good pleasures (there’s space to make this list in the pdf anxiety busting plan) - you know yourself best and know what will work for you. Try out some different things until you land on the best ones.
Anxiety-reducing strategy 6: Ingest calm
Take magnesium supplements: This is in no way medical advice (I’m a PhD, not a medical doctor!), but I have found taking magnesium to have a calming effect on me. Also, my heart palpitations have completely disappeared since I started taking them.
Chamomile tea (or your favourite non-caffeinated tea of choice): Sit down and drink it slowly.
Anxiety-reducing strategy 7: Sleep
Make sure you’re getting enough of it. There is a lot of research to show that lack of sleep increases the brain’s anticipatory reactions, which increases anxiety. Try to get the recommended 7-9 hours a night.
Anxiety-reducing strategy 8: Look anxiety in the face
This is a little pearl of wisdom that I heard on the ‘What Fresh Hell?’ parenting podcast. It was in an episode where the hosts were discussing how to manage yourself (and your kid) when they don’t fit the mould. One of the hosts, Margaret, explained that she has this recurring nightmare where something is chasing her. She realised that the key to quelling her fear was to turn around and look right at it (both in her nightmare and in real life!).
Often, the thing that is causing your anxiety is all the more anxiety-inducing because you are not looking at it directly in the face.
Unseen, unquestioned, unchallenged: it has no bounds.
When it has no bounds, it can seem like the scariest thing in the world. But, most of the time, if you actually consider just what it is, it’s often not the scariest thing in the world.
Challenge your negative beliefs. What you are thinking isn’t necessarily what is happening.
Anxiety-reducing strategy 9: Avoid these things at all costs
There are plenty of things that can help with your anxiety, but there are also some things that you shouldn’t do (not that I’m here to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do - but just be mindful of these things).
Here are my top things to avoid:
Your known anxiety triggers.
Google (especially if you have health anxiety).
Actually, stay off your computer and phone (and other devices) altogether.
Anything caffeinated (remember: that also includes black tea, energy drinks, and chocolate - okay, maybe some chocolate is allowed!).
Anxiety-reducing strategy 10: Consider seeking professional help
If none of the above have helped at all, and your anxiety is interfering with your everyday life, then consider seeking professional help.
Find a therapist that you can see in person.
Find an online/remote therapist (perhaps try something like Better Help, if you are in the US).
If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to a therapist, then perhaps try an online course such as this one.
I hope these tips have been helpful for you. As I’ve mentioned, I am not a professional - but these are some simple strategies that help me quench my anxiety when it’s starting to interfere with my life, and help me keep it at bay the rest of the time.
What helps you to reduce your anxiety? Leave your thoughts in the comments below (you never know who is reading this, and needs to read just what you have to say! Plus, I always love new ideas).
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