Especially during the first few weeks of classes, I am no stranger to anxiety. Anxiety can be very difficult to control, and while there’s not much we can do about that, there are ways you can help ease it. I’ve used these 5 techniques more than once, and they really have made a difference. Although there are several other methods you can use, here are just a few that have helped me, and maybe they can help you too.
- Go online to a website called Calm.com
- Go for a walk
1. Deep Breathing Exercises
This is one technique that you have to give a chance. At first, I didn’t think that changing my breathing would help me in the slightest with my anxiety. But recently, a therapist told me a very effective way of calming yourself down in a stressful situation. What you do is pretty simple; breathe in really slowly, until you feel as though your lungs are filled with oxygen. Then, slowly exhale at the same speed as when you inhaled. Because this is fairly easy, you can get away with doing this in public and no one would even notice. Sometimes when I’m feeling stressed during class, I do this technique and it helps me calm down. As simple as this breathing exercise is, it is effective if you give it a chance.
2. Download an anxiety/depression app, called Pacifica
This app has truly changed my life. It not only has several breathing/relaxation techniques, but it even has activities to help manage social anxiety, public speaking anxiety, and allows you to rate your mood every time you use it. The one feature I like is that it also helps you reword your negative thoughts into positive ones, and has a section where you can write down your thoughts like a journal. Pacifica also has a feature with guided meditation where an automated voice guides you through each step of the specific exercise you’ve chosen, which is very helpful. The other great thing about this app is that it’s free, and you don’t need Internet access to use it. However, there are some features on it that you can pay for if you want to, and they’re only a few dollars, which to me is worth it. The free features honestly work just as well, but if you feel like you need it, try one that you have to pay for.
3. Listen to a slow song
Being the music lover that I am, I always find that listening to a slower song calms me down when I’m feeling stressed. Ed Sheeran is one of my favorite artists to listen to when I’m stressed because several of his songs are slow and calming. When I want to use this strategy, I try to go somewhere where I can be alone and just try to focus on the music and not the swirling thoughts in my head. It can be hard to ignore the stressful thoughts you have, but listening to music has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety- so if you’re a music lover, give it a try.
4. Check out the website Calm.com
This website is completely free, and it’s similar to Pacifica in that it has several breathing techniques and even sounds you can listen to in order to relieve anxiety. I have used this website before, and I chose to listen to “sounds on the beach” for a few minutes. Because I feel most calm when I’m at the beach, this one helped me imagine that I was at the beach and not having to worry about anything. You can pick from a variety of different sounds if you don’t prefer the beach one, and it also has guided mediation where an automated voice guides you through each meditation exercise.
5. Go for a walk outside
I suggest going to an outside environment that you know will be quieter, and just walk around for a few minutes to clear your head. I find that when I have a lot going on, especially with school, walking around or sitting outside for a little bit really helps to clear my head. You could even ask a friend to go with you and make it a point to talk about things that aren’t stressing you out.
