Relaxation - The Key To Control Anxiety

When was the last time you felt the following symptoms? Your heart started to race, you began to sweat, and you could not fill up air into your lungs. The end result was a feeling of lightheadedness. You might not have had realized then, that you were in the midst of an anxiety or panic attack.

The anxiety attacks are characterized by intense apprehension, stress, and obsessive thoughts. It is normal for anyone to feel anxious prior to an exam or an interview. Most people also feel anxiety taking a hold on them before delivering a speech. However certain times it might happen that you experience the anxiety bouts a bit too frequently. These anxiety attacks spiral beyond your control. They begin to have an adverse effect on your physical and emotional well being. Your work gets hampered. Your family life too gets affected. This is the time when you need assistance.

Resorting to medications might bring in temporary relief. However this could prove addictive in the long run giving rise to side effects. Probably the most effective way to deal with stress and anxiety is learning the art of relaxation. You must try to release tension from your body through effective muscle relaxation techniques. You can perform breathing exercises and meditation too.

Progressive muscle relaxation: This involves tensing and relaxing muscle groups in the right order. When you begin to first tense and subsequently relax muscle groups in an order, each time the muscles will relax more in its natural course. You can sit in a comfortable chair, and close your eyes. Take slow breaths. Tense your right hand muscles to a comfortable point, and count till five. After that, relax these muscles. Go on to tense and relax the muscles situated in your lower arm, upper arm, shoulder, one by one. Repeat the process with left hand, arm, and shoulder. Subsequently move on to the small group of muscles in your head and face, back, down to your legs and feet. These muscle relaxation techniques gradually prepare you to take up the deep breathing exercises.

Abdominal breathing exercises: You have to master the technique of breathing properly through the diaphragm. This is done to prevent hyperventilating or rapid breathing common to anxiety attacks. You have to take in deep breaths through your nose. Learn to release this air through your lips which should be pursed together. Each breath that you inhale or exhale must be carried out 8 times or so to make sure that enough air enters into the lungs. This exercise should be carried out in an erect sitting position.

Meditation: - . Meditation is a technique of bringing together entire mind's focus and energy may be on a specific symbol, image or on your breathing. The ideal place for meditating is a clean, quiet place. Typically you should meditate with your eyes closed, sitting on the floor or a chair. Meditation makes you aware of the present moment without letting you be affected or bothered to a great extent.