You can’t relax. You’re sitting on the couch watching mindless tv to escape, yet your knee is bouncing up and down, and you’re picking at your nails. You can’t identify any anxious thoughts… it’s just this energy inside that persists. It’s so uncomfortable.  

Everyone gets anxious, restless, and frazzled. Anxiety can be a normal reaction to stress, and it can serve as a prompt to deal with difficult situations.   Sometimes when you experience anxiety, you often can't specify what it is that you're anxious about. The focus of anxiety is more internal then external. It seems to be a response to a vague, distant, or even unrecognized danger. You might be anxious about "losing control" of yourself or some situation. Or you might feel anxiety about “something bad happening.” Anxiety affects your whole being.

Here’s a quick practice that could help when those moments happen.

Try slowly inhaling to a count of four, filling your belly first and then your chest, gently holding your breath to a count of four, and slowly exhaling to a count of four and repeat several times.  

Taking a deep breath activates the body’s relaxation response. It helps the body go from the brain’s flight or flight response to the brain’s relaxed response. A proactive practice is to set an alarm to go off a few times a day and practice this simple breathing. Or you can also practice anytime you are waiting - waiting for an appointment, waiting in line, waiting for the light to change while in the car. Then it becomes habit so the next time you notice your knee bopping and that anxious energy inside, you will remember to take some deep breaths to alleviate the anxious response.  

Some anxiety is normal. Anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry, fear or discomfort. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. If you suffer from severe anxiety or are worrying too much, it’s important to talk with a mental health specialist about your symptoms.

If your anxiety is interfering with your life, feel free to call me at 561-406-4398 for a free 15 minute phone consultation. If you are looking for help with anxiety, trauma or relationship struggles, you can read more about how I can help here.