I don’t know about all of you, but I could use a nice deep breath right now. Do it with me, okay? Breathe in (through your nose) for 1, 2, 3, 4… hold for 1, 2, 3, 4… breathe out (from your mouth) for 1, 2, 3, 4… Feel free to do this several more times until you feel more present and at peace. Did it help? I definitely feel better! What you just did was a breathing technique used for grounding and combatting anxiety called box breathing. I stumbled upon this technique during my ongoing journey to find ways to not only accept and live with my anxiety, but also learn how to center myself and soothe whatever anxiety I’m experiencing at that moment.
While I know that anxiety finds its way into the lives of many people around the world, especially college students, I’ve realized that not many people actively know how to soothe those feelings. I say soothe instead of “resist” or “fight”, because anxiety is a signal from our bodies communicating our silent needs or stressors. It is important to acknowledge these feelings without judgment or resistance and be able to find ways to bring oneself peace in those anxious moments. Breathing is a great start. But what are other techniques if breathing just isn’t enough? Here are 4 methods I personally find helpful when I’m anxious and in need of self-soothing.
- Tea and Water
Of course we should always be on top of our hydration, but in overwhelming times, a little reminder can help. If your anxiety is causing you to become flushed and unsettled, drinking a glass of cool water can really save the moment. Additionally, herbal, non caffeinated, tea is a great option for a warm or iced beverage aimed at providing calm. Look out for chamomile, peppermint, spearmint, rose, orange, licorice, and lemongrass. Two teas I highly recommend that include many of the ingredients I just mentioned are Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile Herbal Tea and Trader Joe’s Well Rested Herbal Tea. I love the sweet flavors and aroma, which remind my brain that peace is obtainable and everything will eventually be alright. As with all positive and negative feelings, the anxiety will pass; having a soothing drink to sip on is a simple and sweet reminder of this.
- Reset and Refresh
At the end of the day I always make an effort to relax and wash the day away. I mean this very literally; the last part of my day is always a nice warm shower and simple skin routine. Have you ever noticed how after a shower you feel like a blank slate, ready for a new day? A shower is a great opportunity for respite, providing a reset or refresher for the day to come or the remainder of the day ahead. If you’re having a rough time it may be crucial to pause and simply let the warm water and soap wash your stressors away. While a shower can’t solve all your problems, it can give you a chance to relax and more calmly assess your next steps. If a full shower is not feasible, I sometimes opt to splash my face with cool water and recite simple affirmations to myself before I re-enter the mayhem of my college life schedule.
- Dance or Clean
Possibly the most active anxiety soothing recommendation I have is to blast music in a safe space, ideally where others are not disturbed, and dance like crazy. When I say “dance,” what I really mean is just move your body! Anxiety can be caused by excessive stillness so getting up, increasing your heartbeat, and moving to music can be an amazing way to purge anxious and restless feelings. If goofy dancing isn’t your style, I’ve also noticed the immense positive effects of cleaning my room and workspace, giving a little extra attention to the clutter I may have been ignoring… like… folding the pile of clean laundry in my hamper from the weekend. Truthfully, it only matters in terms of whatever helps your body and mind relax. A lot of times our physical environment represents our mental one — it’s important to take care of both!
- Reducing Stimulus
I think this is the easiest self-soothing method, as it can truly be done anywhere. I am a highly sensitive person and amplitudes of stimuli can be quite draining and anxiety-inducing. This trick helps a lot, especially with visual overstimulation. Find a place you feel comfortable, like the Memorial Union hammocks, grass lawn, or even in a bathroom stall (for privacy purposes), and close your eyes. Give yourself a chance to connect with your body and your heartbeat, breathing slowly to enter a more peaceful state while embracing the calm that comes with darkness. This might even be a good time to give yourself a hug while you breathe or rest your hands where you feel the most tension to remind your body that you love it. Box breathing can be a great addition to this practice as well!
I hope that these anxiety practices from my life have brought you some peace and calm in your own life. I’ll cheers my chamomile tea to that! Soothe on!