Quick Help for Anxiety

There are steps to overcoming anxiety. The sufferer must be serious about gaining control over the symptoms. Steps require time and effort.

POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS:

REPEAT THE FOLLOWING UPON WAKING, SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, and AT BEDTIME:

1 - I AM GETTING CALMER. I AM FEELING CALMER. I AM CALMER.

2 - I AM GETTING STRONGER. I AM FEELING STRONGER. I AM STRONGER.

3 - I AM GETTING BETTER. I AM FEELING BETTER. I AM BETTER.

4 - I AM BECOMING IN CONTROL OF MYSELF. I AM FEELING IN CONTROL OF MYSELF. I AM IN CONTROL OF MYSELF.

5 - I CANNOT CHANGE OTHERS. OTHERS CANNOT CHANGE ME. I CAN ONLY CHANGE MYSELF.

VISUALIZATION:

VISUALIZATION is a key element in learning to RELAX. The GOAL is to eventually be able to envision a calm, relaxing thought or scene, and FEEL that state of being.

RELAXING BREATHING TECHNIQUE: Close your eyes. Place your hand just under your ribcage. (This is where you will breathe from. Your hand should move up and down with each breath.) Focus all your attention on breathing as instructed.

* Inhale, slowly, deeply, to a count of 5. Hold for a count of 4. Exhale, slowly, until all air is released. Repeat. Return to normal breathing.

Steps to Visualization:

1- Find a quiet setting.

2- Make yourself as comfortable as possible. (Prepare to relax.)

3- Close your eyes and perform the RELAXING BREATHING TECHNIQUE. Focus on the 'light feeling' you have when breathing. Try to envision yourself as 'floating.'

4- Once returning to regular breathing, continue to focus on the way you breathe. Breathe slowly. Make each breath PRODUCTIVE. Allow the breaths to flow through your body, saturating you with clean, comforting oxygen. FEEL your whole body breathing. Focus on this thought as you breathe.

SELECT A PLEASANT MEMORY
The memory may be of a certain place you have visited, a picture you have seen which was pleasing to you, or even a fantasy vacation spot. The important factor in VISUALIZATION is that you are calm and content with the visual.

Focus on the visual. SEE, HEAR, SMELL, FEEL. It takes time to reach the 'perfect state of visualization,' but with practice, it is possible.

TIPS FOR DEALING WITH SOME ANXIETY SYMPTOMS

CHOKING SENSATION: Stick out your tongue, inhale through nose, exhale through mouth. This should alleviate the choking feeling associated with panic attacks.

RAPID HEARTBEAT and/or SHAKINESS: Do the RELAXING BREATHING TECHNIQUE (shown on this page).

YOUR POSITIVE JOURNAL

Another key to getting better is changing our attitude. Many of us don't even realize how NEGATIVE we are. One way to change our attitudes is by keeping a 24 hour journal of all our thoughts and feelings. Do not try to rationalize what you are feeling or thinking at the time, just write it down. After 24 hours of journal keeping, review your thoughts and feelings. Most of us will be shocked at how negative we have been! This will help us to focus on our thoughts and feelings more, become aware of what we think and feel, change the way we think and feel. Now that we know, we can work on changing this attitude to POSITIVE.

Terry Richard/Author