Paige Harris Today I’m sharing my favorite technique to minimize anxious thoughts in 5 minutes or less without any fancy apps or equipment.
If you’re anything like me, you’re feeling a little anxious right now.
The holidays are full of family and fun, but they’re also full of anxiety inducing things — like lack of routine, lack of exercise, and lack of “me time.” And even though the routine, quality food, & exercise parts are important, the “me time” portion is what I want to focus on most here.
There are two types of people in this world: introverts and extroverts. Sure, you could be an introverted extrovert or vice versa, but today we’re going to keep it simple.
If you’re an extrovert, you recharge yourself by being around other people. You think that it’s relaxing to go out with friends, to spend time with loved ones, and to just generally be around others.
If you’re an introvert, you recharge yourself by being by yourself. You relax by curling up with a book, going on a solo walk, or by just being alone with your thoughts.
The problem is that being alone with your thoughts can be really scary if you’re already feeling anxious. You might feel like you’re out of control or spiralling — and neither of those feelings is very relaxing.
So if you’re an introvert looking to minimize anxious thoughts, I have a solution for you.
Meditate.
Stay with me here. I know that meditation can be a little woo-woo. It can also be really freaking challenging to empty your mind and find your inner eye and all of the other nonsensical stereotypes that come to mind. But that’s not the kind of meditation that works for me, and chances are it doesn’t work for you, either. If you’re already freaking out about not doing anything, the last thing you want to do is try and stay calm while trying not to think about anything either!
So here’s what you do instead; get yourself into a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down. You could play some ambient music if you’d like, but make sure it doesn’t have any words that could draw you out of it. Close your eyes, take a deep belly breath in, and then let it all out.
Start focusing in on your body. Feel it. How heavy it feels. How tight and anxious it feels. Now, do a full body scan from the bottom up. Begin at your toes. If they’re tensed, release the tension there, and actually say in your mind “I’m relaxing my toes.“
Next, move to your foot. Your ankle, your calves and shins… you get the picture. Make sure you pay attention to each body part and acknowledge your relaxation of it as you continue along.
When you get to the top of your body, you should be feeling pretty peaceful. You may have found that you were holding tension in certain areas of your body that you hadn’t ever really paid attention to before. For example, when I’m stressed, my right shoulder is usually hiked up to my ear with tension. This exercise helps me recognize that stress and let it go.
Give it a try the next time you feel stressed. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels!
