Relaxation to Manage Anxiety

The ability to relax is the core of any program aimed at overcoming anxiety, panic attacks and phobias. Relaxation means more than sitting on the couch watching TV or taking a quick bath before falling into bed at night, these practices may make you feel a little relaxed but for relaxation to make a difference to anxiety and panic disorder it needs to be regular, usually daily practice of deep relaxation.

Deep relaxation is known to involve a sequence of physiological changes which would include:

Reduction in blood pressure
Reduction in rate of breathing
Reduction in heart rate
Reduction in muscle tension
Reduction in oxygen use
Increase in alpha wave brain activity
Increase in skin resistance

Regular use of deep relaxation for 30 minutes a day will lead in time to a general relaxation in the rest of your daily life, meaning that after a number of weeks practicing deep relaxation at least once a day you will tend to feel more relaxed all of the time.

Other benefits of deep relaxation include:

Decrease in generalized anxiety
Decrease in severity and frequency of panic attacks
Increase in energy level
Improved memory and concentration
Better sleep patterns
Decrease in tiredness
Prevention of headaches and other disorders such as ulcers and asthma
Increased self confidence - you perform better when you are relaxed

Some methods of achieving deep relaxation are:

Abdominal breathing - a method of breathing deeply from the abdomen
Meditation
Progressive muscle relaxation
Visualization - usually a peaceful scene
Guided imagery
Sensory deprivation
Autogenic training
Biofeedback

Practising deep relaxation involves more than just learning a method, it requires a shift in lifestyle and attitude, an eagerness to prioritize your health and peace of mind over other pressing matters such as money or status.

Some excuses commonly used for not allocating time everyday for deep relaxation are:

"I don't have the time, I'm too busy" - you must prioritize and make the time
"I don't have anywhere to relax" - another excuse, if you are determined you will find a place
"Relaxation is boring" - you need to slow down, it's good for you
"I don't have the discipline required for deep relaxation" - this normally means you haven't given it enough time to become a habit, persevere, it will get better

If you learn to take the time out each day to practice deep relaxation you will see the benefits accruing over the longer term, your anxiety or panic attacks will start to diminish in severity and frequency and you will feel so much better in yourself.

c Andrew Tudor Jones

Andrew Tudor Jones is the owner of Cure Anxiety And Panic Attacks, ?a website dedicated to helping people who suffer from anxiety and depression. ?The website offers valuable information on these conditions as well as 2 e-books which can be downloaded for free and a Blog ?updated on a regular basis with relevant information.

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Stop an Anxiety Attack in 3 Simple Steps

If you're living with severe panic and anxiety, and you'd like to know exactly what you can do the next time you need to stop an anxiety attack, I've put together a quick 3 step plan that you can use.

These ideas are basic, and yet they are sadly overlooked by many people who are experiencing panic and anxiety attacks. The ideas that follow really do work, so I hope you'll give them a shot when and if you need them.

1. When you feel an anxiety attack approaching, do something physical if your situation permits it. Take the trash out, vacuum the carpet, or even walk up and down the stairs a couple of times.

Getting active like this achieves two things - first, it distracts you from the way you're feeling, and two, it gets your heart, lungs, muscles and your mind working slightly harder -all of which can decrease anxiety and prevent a full-blown attack.

2. If your anxiety attack happens, despite your best efforts, make use of all sensory distractions. The worst attacks are so bad because your mind becomes transfixed on the sensations and the thoughts linked to the attack. Sensory distractions deprive the attack of its fuel and will make it go away much faster.

Great sensory distractions are turning on the TV with the volume higher than normal, turning on some music (often, unfamiliar music is effective), and believe it or not, even eating something very bitter. Anything that requires your senses to process some information will help ease an attack.

3. When you have an attack, do something immediately afterwards. Anything. The important thing is, once it's over and you're free to do something else, do something else.

The longer you leave it to get back on your feet, the longer it will take for the effects of the attack to disappear. I've also found that some attacks can cause further attacks, almost like earthquake aftershocks. The chances of these happening are greatly reduced if you get busy with something else as soon as you can.

These 3 tips are powerful. They will help you stop an anxiety attack from happening, or they will make it stop much faster if it happens, and they will reduce the chances of further "aftershock" attacks occurring. Start using these tips today, anytime you need them.

Since overcoming a lifelong battle with many forms of anxiety disorder, Alex Taylor now devotes his time to helping others recover. He achieves this via his highly-acclaimed online course, "Beat Panic Today." So if you want to stop panic attacks right now you can access the course, free of charge, by going to Alex's website: http://www.PreventYourPanic.com

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