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Dealing with anxiety is anything but convenient. It seems to strike at the most cumbersome times like traveling, family functions, and work. When anxiety strikes at work it can feel embarrassing and alarming since mental health is still stigmatized and misunderstood, especially in the workplace. So how do you manage if you’re one of 40 million people in the U.S. struggling with anxiety? I use these easy remedies:
Listen to soothing music
Turn off the pre-workout playlist you use to keep yourself alert and turn on some calming tunes. If you’re not sure where to find some, Spotify has many playlists dedicated to calming music, specifically cultivated to calm you down. YouTube also has a wide variety of calming music to help settle your nerves.
Inhale some zen
Essential oils are great to keep in your bag for when you’re feeling anxious. If you’re not familiar with them, essential oils are the highly concentrated version of natural oils in plants that have been used throughout history for their medical and therapeutic benefits. Lavender, Frankincense, and Ylang Ylang are just a few known to help with anxiety. You can order them online or find them in certain health food stores and yoga studios. When you start to feel anxious, just grab it from your bag, slip into the bathroom, and breathe in the oil.
Take a walk
If you’re able to go outside, give yourself 10 minutes (or less if you’re really strapped for time) and take a walk. Depending where you live, you can stroll up a few blocks or do a couple laps around the building. The change of scenery and fresh air will help calm your nerves and take away focus from whatever is causing the anxiety, even if you don’t know what the cause is. If the weather isn’t great, you can also find a department store or drug store and casually stroll the aisles.
Breathe in private
If you don’t feel comfortable doing deep breathing at your desk, go into the bathroom, stairwell, or your car and focus on your breath. An easy breathing technique is to inhale for a count of three, hold for three, and then exhale for three. Repeat as many times as necessary but aim for at least five rounds.
Anxiety may be stressful and obnoxious but that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to manage and control it. Next time you start to feel anxiety take control, stop whatever you’re doing and take just a few moments to try one of these techniques. Remember, mental health first.
