28 TAKE DEEP, SLOW BREATHS
When you’re stressed, you tend to hold your breath or breathe too rapidly or shallowly, and that makes you feel more on edge. “Regulating your breathing is a surprisingly effective antianxiety measure,” says Vittone. He recommends inhaling slowly through your nose, pressing one nostril, and then holding your breath for about 10 seconds, and then slowly exhaling through your mouth. Repeat the process, pressing the other nostril.
Even if you can’t get a professional massage, you can still help ease muscle tension by using a tennis ball. When you feel stressed or anxious, pull it out and roll it under your feet or behind your shoulders. Psychologist Susan Albers recommends keeping the ball at your desk, or even in your bag, so you have access to it at all times.
Breathing in the scent of something lovely and familiar, such as your favourite perfume, can help calm your stress levels. Or try rose essential oil: it’s been used to ease stress, grief and sadness,
according to a study in the
“Sometimes, the little things can be very uplifting,” says trainer Jacqueline Wagner.
A small tweak to your appearance can help give you the mood boost you need when you’re feeling
down or frazzled.
Toxic worry, the kind that’s replete with those ‘what ifs’, is frequently based on wrong information or a lack of details, explains Hallowell. So one way to slow your worry wheel is to throw facts in its path. If you have a mole on your shoulder that you’re afraid is cancerous, get it checked out. Don’t just sit around and let it drive you crazy with fear.
It might sound a little pessimistic, but when an issue arises, say to yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?”, “How bad would it be?” and “What’s the likelihood of it happening?” The worst thing that can happen usually isn’t that bad, and it seldom occurs. Later, you may even wonder why you worried about it at all!
When you’re all wound up in your worries, try to take a different view. Ask yourself, “What’s funny about this situation?” or “When I think about this two years from now, will I laugh?” If we can find humour in a situation, we immediately defuse the danger, Vittone says.