| Do you have anxiety or panic attacks? Do you find | | | | very relaxed", and repeat it to yourself over and |
| that although you have anxiety, medication is not for | | | | over. If you have a hard time using words, you can |
| you? Or maybe you are taking medication but want | | | | try counting slowly or focusing on your breath. If you |
| to supplement with some home exercises for anxiety | | | | notice that you are "spacing" or that your mind is |
| to get even better results? | | | | wondering off, just gently reel yourself back in by |
| There are many things you can do at home to | | | | focusing on you "mantra" or your breath. |
| relieve your anxiety symptoms, reduce your anxiety | | | | Yoga |
| or even prevent it. The number one key to treating | | | | Yoga is also about being present in the moment. |
| or eliminating anxiety is relaxation, and the University | | | | There are many different styles of yoga, and you |
| of Michigan Health Center has released as guide | | | | can get DVD's for a guided yoga class in your own |
| explaining both why you need to learn to relax and | | | | home. If you are completely new to yoga, I will |
| how to do it. | | | | recommend that you attend a beginner's yoga class |
| The guide talks about the relaxation response; | | | | to learn to do the postures correctly. This will help |
| defined as "your personal ability to make your body | | | | you get more out of your home exercises for |
| release chemicals and brain signals that make your | | | | anxiety, and you will learn to avoid injury. |
| muscles and organs slow down and increases blood | | | | Progressive Muscle Relaxation |
| flow to the brain." Drugs can to a certain extent help | | | | Progressive muscle relaxation may sound complicated, |
| you achieve this, but did you know you have the | | | | but it's really not. It's simply put a series of exercises |
| ability to do it yourself without the help of drugs? | | | | where you tense your muscles before you gradually |
| There are several different ways to achieve the | | | | relax them. The "science" behind this technique is that |
| relaxation response, but it's important to understand | | | | people with a lot of stress and anxiety in their life |
| what it is before we go into the how. When I talk | | | | tend to have tense muscles even when they are |
| about relaxation as a home exercise for anxiety, I'm | | | | resting. By tensing the muscles one area at a time |
| not talking about taking a nap or relaxing on the | | | | and then relaxing, your muscles will not only go back |
| couch. The relaxation we're aiming for is a state | | | | to the state they were in before you tensed them, |
| where your body is relaxed while your mind is still | | | | they will be more relaxed. |
| alert. | | | | Visual Imagery |
| Examples of relaxation techniques that you can use | | | | Visual Imagery is all about using your own imagination |
| as home exercises for anxiety are meditation, yoga, | | | | to distract yourself from your anxiety. If you |
| deep breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation and | | | | experience bad anxiety, you may not initially believe |
| visual imagery. Don't be discouraged if you don't feel | | | | that using your imagination can be one of the really |
| your anxiety evaporating immediately as you start | | | | effective home exercises for anxiety, but it really |
| practicing your relaxation; all of these are techniques | | | | can. Visual Imagery is not just about imagining things, |
| that can be taught, and the more you practice them | | | | it about using certain techniques to activate all you |
| the better results you'll get. | | | | senses while you are visualizing. It can take a little bit |
| So how exactly do these home exercises for anxiety | | | | of practice to get into the visual Imagery technique, |
| work, and which one's the most effective? According | | | | but when you do, you learn to focus all your |
| to the University of Michigan Health Center, there is | | | | concentration inward on your imagery and it's a quick |
| no indication that any of these techniques are | | | | and easy way to beat anxiety and panic. |
| superior to the rest; they all work and you can | | | | Deep Breathing |
| practice one, some or all of them. It's up to you to | | | | Deep breathing is not the same as a lot of breathing. |
| figure out which ones suit you better. | | | | When people are stressed or anxious they tend to |
| Meditation | | | | breathe a lot of short shallow breaths. According to |
| There are a lot of different types of meditation that | | | | the University of Pittsburg Medical Center, shallow |
| can help you, but practicing mindful meditation seems | | | | and fast breathing into our upper chest creates short |
| to be the one that has the best results on anxiety. | | | | restless brainwaves. Deep breaths into the abdomen |
| Mindful meditation is about being completely present | | | | and not just the chest creates longer, slower |
| in the moment. When you use mindful meditation as | | | | brainwaves, similar to the ones we have when we |
| a home exercise for anxiety, try to not focus on | | | | feel relaxed. Practicing deep breathing techniques is |
| anything but what is happening right this second. | | | | an easy and very effective home exercise for |
| Focus on a word or a phrase like "peace" or "I am | | | | anxiety. |