Exercises for Anxiety Help

When anxiety is taking a toll on you, your reacts in various ways that affect your physical and mental condition.  You have trouble sleeping, eating, and concentrating. You get headaches.  Your stomach is upset. You might even have a anxiety attack -- the pounding heart, a feeling of lightheadedness. If you want to know how to deal with anxiety, here are three simple activities that you can start doing at home:

Do smile meditation exercises.  Make meditation a part of your life. It helps you to stay calm, keep your focus, and enjoy inner peace. Studies have revealed that meditation can lead to physical changes in your brain that will make you happy.  

Take these steps:

1.   Prepare yourself. Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on your lap. Your spine must be straight and your body erect but relaxed. Close your eyes. Allow your breathing to help you attain the state that will give you anxiety relief.

2.   Make a genuine half smile on your face.  It relaxes your jaw and face and can make your eyes twinkle. You will also notice that your smile spreads to all the parts of your face.  

3.   Imagine your smile becoming contagious.   It spreads to your throat, neck, and all the regions of your face. Let your mind rest there for a while.  Whatever feelings you have, let it flow and just accept it.

4.   Fill your heart with happiness – soothing and warming. Breathe. Let the concept rest there for a while. Settle happiness in your heart.

5.   Spread your smile to your stomach and on other areas of your body that you want to concentrate on.

6.   Hold on to the concept of kind friendliness and go back to the idea of experiencing happiness and smile in your body.

7.   Conclude this exercise through sensing your breathing and being comforted by the happy and soothing feeling of a smile. 

Identify your source of pain.  Make a list of some of the painful scenarios that you suspect as anxiety cause. Maybe you were rejected by a friend whom you asked for a date, you were embarrassed by your boss in front of your colleagues, or disrespected by your children in front of her/his classmates. Perhaps you lost your finesse and composure or made bad decisions at that particular moment. In your list, include your reactions.

1.   Opposite each item, indicate how long this situation has been bothering you.

2.   Rather than pushing yourself to get rid of these problems, allow it to enter your awareness with an open attitude. Think and tell this to yourself, "These are just memories."

This activity will help you dig deep down to the real source of your pain. You might be suffering from anxiety symptoms for a long time already without even realizing the reasons.

Develop spiritual habits. Connecting your inner self to a higher being will allow you to ease your worries and reassure you that there are a lot of things in your life to be grateful for.

1.   Devote at least five minutes to read a spiritual text before you start your day. It could be a spiritual book, spiritual workbook or Bible.

2.   Spend time to walk and enjoy nature – it could be in the woods, park, or seashore.

3.   Perform one act of kindness for someone especially to a stranger.

4.   Remember the kind and wonderful things you have done – the moments when you cared for others, became generous, or lifted someone else's spirit. Record these memories in your diary as a concrete reminder that there is goodness inside you.

Instead of relying on medication for anxiety, try these easy steps that can be done anytime and anywhere.