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Here you’ll find a list of seven unique tips to relieve anxiety that you haven’t heard before. Some of them are quick solutions for immediate relief and others will help reduce your anxious feelings for the long-term.
The internet is filled with millions of tips that are supposed to help you de-stress. Most of these lists feature the same ideas over and over again: mindfulness, meditation, yoga, or essential oils. If you’re anything like me, you’ve tried them all in a desperate effort to relax. You know every mindfulness app that exists and you could probably run your own meditation class from all the recordings you’ve heard. You need a new idea.
The important thing to remember as you try these tips is to stay persistent. If you commit to one of these ideas for at least three weeks, you are much more likely to feel better than if you try them one time. Make yourself a promise that you will stay dedicated for the near future. Persistence is crucial.
1. Tapping
Tapping is a lesser-known form of meditation that combines modern psychology techniques with the ancient method of Chinese acupressure. It involves tapping 5-7 times each on the body’s main pressure points. You can do this yourself or follow guided meditations that instruct you when to move to the different points.
The diversion of focusing on a guided meditation while moving through pressure points centers your mind on the current moment. I noticed that I was less likely to drift to other thoughts using this method than with other recordings.
A great app to try this technique is The Tapping Solution. It features free guided meditations for people in all stages of life. The website also details the siblings who founded the company and the research behind the app’s creation.
2. Use a Mood Wheel
It can be overwhelming to confront years of negative feelings all at once. That’s why it’s important to be aware of how your emotions change on a daily basis. One way to notice this pattern is by using a mood tracker wheel, which is a sheet of paper that allows you to fill in a box for each day of the month with the color that represents your overarching emotion.
This tool breaks your days into bite-size pieces, giving you a realistic sense of how your emotions fluctuate. It helps you feel more confident and prepared when facing your emotions and is a great first step for someone trying to alleviate their anxiety. You can make your own mood wheel or easily find one online.
3. Become Aware Through Answering These 8 Questions
On my worst days, answering these questions has always made me feel better about the anxieties I’m facing. Some of them may only be applicable in certain situations, so it’s up to you to answer them in a way that applies to your life.
Sit down with a notebook and cycle through these questions. Answer them honestly. Let your emotions reveal the truth behind your anxiety. Notice how your feelings changed from start to finish.
What am I anxious about?
On a deeper level, what am I anxious about?
What are the worst scenarios?
With whom am I upset and what am I upset about?
Are there other explanations for the hurt that they caused?
What advice would I give to a friend that this happened to?
Is there anything that I am excited and ambitious about?
How could this exciting thing change my life?
4. Plan a Day Trip
Planning a mini vacation is often overlooked as a way to relieve stress, but a monotonous routine and lack of relaxation can worsen anxious feelings. Taking time away from your typical schedule to find joy is critical to maintaining good mental health.
Every month, make sure you plan 1-2 days that are reserved for a day trip. Whether you head to the park for the day or check out a new shopping mall, take a short ride somewhere that brings you joy. If you’re in more immediate need of a break, clear your schedule for an afternoon and hit the road to a nearby place you haven’t been before!
5. Write 3 Things You Worried About but Weren’t as Bad as You Imagined
Past experiences are usually good indicators of how things will turn out in the future. By reminding yourself of situations that didn’t fulfill your anxious thoughts, you can help calm your worries about the future.
For example, I like to remind myself of my first roommate whenever I move in with someone new. Despite the months I spent worrying, she ended up being one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met and we’re still good friends today. I use this positive situation to calm my nerves about moving in with new roommates and remind myself that most people are looking for a kind friend in me as well.
6. Massage Your Hand
Connecting with your body is a great way to feel more grounded and calm. Besides, who doesn’t love a good massage? Your hands are filled with tiny pressure points that you can knead to relieve tightness and stress, while also giving you something to focus your attention on.
A simple massage with your opposite hand will do the trick, but lots of reputable websites will also instruct you on specific pressure points to focus on. Give it a try!
7. Stand Up Straight
Have you ever heard of power posing? If not, you can watch a TED Talk on the idea with a quick online search. Essentially, some scientists believe that positioning yourself in stances associated with confidence – chest lifted, head held high, arms lifted – can create organic confidence.
We can also use this final tip to relieve anxiety. When we get stressed, we tend to close our bodies and make ourselves small. But by opening ourselves up and taking a more confident stance, we can trick our brains into forgetting that we’re anxious.
While this idea is more controversial than the rest, I challenge you to give it a try. Even a small lift in your mood can take you a long way.
