Many people, especially after the pandemic arrived, have developed more or less severe anxiety states. According to psychologists this is completely normal, by virtue of the great social change we have witnessed and taken part in. The problem with anxiety is that, in a mild form, it can be a hindrance to our everyday life. But, in the event that it occurs in a more serious form, it is necessary to consult a doctor and, if deemed appropriate, also a psychologist. To manage mild anxiety states we could also resort to simple exercises, let’s find out which ones.
What these states really are
States of anxiety are an activation motion of our body. They appear when our mind goes beyond the action that gives us anxiety. In detail, it is a mechanism by which we dissect the action and see its possible catastrophic implications. Basically, we’re not anxious about having to do a specific thing, but about the fact that if we did it, something bad could happen. It’s a bad trick your mind plays on it, especially when it comes to trivial things like going out, taking the car, going out of town. If these episodes occur after a specific event it is necessary, again, to consult your doctor. If they are related to work, perhaps it is a question of reviewing our position and understanding if there really is a problem, even of possible Burnout.
To manage mild anxiety states these two relaxation exercises of the body and mind could be effective
However, there are some exercises that could have an impact by decreasing the anxiety state in the immediate future. These are exercises that we must do in solitude and trying to relax body and mind as much as possible. Today we will talk about two variations of the same principle. For my exercise let’s sit comfortably or lie down, close our eyes and focus our anxiety. Avoiding it will only increase it, while our aim is to contextualize it, understand it and deal with it. Let’s physically isolate it on our body. Where do we hear it? On the abdomen, on the belly or on the head? Once centered, let’s give it a shape.
It can be anything we want: a cage, a woman, a pair of glasses, a lump. We inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, slowly. The exercise is to throw it out, get it out. With the breath we must try to bring it to the surface and make it disappear. However, if we fail to focus as we should on focusing on anxiety, we can proceed in another way. Let’s close our eyes and don’t forget to breathe as above. We choose a place that we know very well. A house, a garden, a room. Let’s describe it to ourselves in great detail. Where is the lamp or the lemon tree, the carpet or the parking space. We have to imagine ourselves walking into the place and remembering as many details as possible. So these two exercises could be effective, in fact we should feel better after a few minutes of breathing and concentrating.
Deepening
What to say during the first session with the psychologist could be the starting point for a successful therapy