How To Deal With Anxiety

 Irina Gusakova

We are always in a hurry somewhere, forget something, constantly think about something and worry a lot. Cope with anxiety, maintain focus and stop the flow of thoughts helps mindfulness - "mindfulness practices" with proven effectiveness.

Psychologist and expert of the online school of psychological professions "Psychodemia" Victoria Moiseeva shared with Pravda readers. Simple practices that will help reduce anxiety and improve well-being. Meditation is usually associated with something spiritual or esoteric. However, some meditation techniques have long been used by psychologists to help clients cope with emotions and relieve stress.

The practice is to observe your breathing, gradually deepen it and try not to be distracted by thoughts. Even if you focus on your breathing for even a minute, your cortisol levels will begin to drop, which means you will feel calmer. 

Evolutionary stress is associated with a sense of danger. The practice of visualisation "safe place" allows you to return a sense of security, and therefore reduce stress.

In order to perform this practice, you need to close your eyes and begin to imagine yourself in a safe place - where you are calm and not in danger. You can remember your room, a place in nature where you felt comfortable, or even imagine a magical cave where no one will touch you. Imagine this image in as much detail as possible and stay in it for a while. 

When you feel that you feel better, you can open your eyes and return to reality, trying to maintain this feeling.

Often we eat fast, combined with reading the news, replying to messages, or an active thought process. 

As a result, we may not even notice the taste of food. The practice of mindful eating is to avoid distractions while eating, try to eat slowly and focus on the taste, texture, smell of food and how you feel. 

You will be surprised how many pleasant emotions an ordinary lunch can bring. When we eat mindfully and calmly, our mood improves, anxiety decreases, and we also feel better when we are full, and we are less likely to overeat.

Practicing the fice senses helps you quickly get back in touch with reality when you are overwhelmed by anxiety. To do this, you need to pay attention to each of the five senses in turn: Vision -look around and mentally name five objects around you. Touch - touch four objects with different textures. 

Hearing - find three different sounds that you can hear. For example, music, the ticking of a clock, the sound of cars from the street, etc. Smell- find two scents. You can bring something up to your nose to sniff. Taste - feel one taste. You can drink water.

Often, when we go somewhere, we are in a hurry, scroll through our thoughts, listen to music on headphones and do not pay any attention to what is happening around us. Developing observation while walking is an easy way to improve your well-being and reduce anxiety. 

You can practice mindful walking at any time when you are walking somewhere. To do this, you need to try to walk a little slower, look around, pay attention to sounds and smells, as well as your sensations in the body (for example, how you step on the ground). Return your attention to sensations when you notice your mind wandering.

-- Pravda.ru