How often do you get nervous before giving a presentation or speaking in front of a group? If you struggle with anxiety, then you probably want to try some simple techniques to reduce stress.
Anxiety is something that affects millions of people worldwide. The good news is that these conditions can be treated effectively.
There are several things that you can do to manage your anxiety. For example, you can practice deep breathing exercises, listen to music, meditate, exercise regularly, eat well, sleep enough and spend time with positive people.
What Are The Best Tips For Calming Your Nerves Down?
Below, we have some helpful tips on calming those shaky nerves down when they’re at their worst.
1. Admitting That You Are Anxious To Yourself
When we feel anxious or angry, we often try to hide our feelings. We might even call ourselves names like “stupid,” “dumb,” or “idiot.” But it turns out that labeling emotions don’t make them go away. In fact, it makes them worse.
Research suggests that people who are able to admit that they’re anxious or angry actually experience less anxiety and anger over time.
There are many reasons why we might want to avoid admitting that we’re anxious or angry. For one thing, it could mean having to deal with uncomfortable feelings.
And there are times when it’s just easier to deny what we’re really thinking and feeling. However, being honest about our feelings can help us cope better with stressors in our lives — and it can improve our relationships with others.
So next time you find yourself struggling with anxiety or anger, consider taking a moment to acknowledge that you’re feeling something. You’ll probably find that your emotional state begins to ease up.
2. Taking Those Breaths
Breathing is the number one and most effective way to reduce anger and anxiety quickly. When we become anxious or angry, we tend to take short, shallow breaths. This sends a signal to our brains telling them to go into fight-or-flight mode.
That’s because when we feel threatened, our bodies prepare us to either run away or attack. Our body responds by releasing adrenaline and cortisol, both hormones associated with stress and fear responses.
These hormones cause blood vessels to constrict, making our hearts beat faster and our muscles tense up.
There are several ways to practice deep breathing.
Here are some tips:
Sit upright comfortably with your spine straight.
Place your hands on your knees.
Take a few deep breaths in and out slowly.
3. Challenge Those Thoughts
Anxiety and anger are common emotions we feel every day. They’re part of our emotional repertoire, like fear and sadness.
But sometimes, anxiety and anger can take over our thinking process, causing us to think about something that isn’t really happening, or worst-case scenarios that aren’t even possible.
When we start thinking about negative outcomes, it triggers an emotion, such as anxiety or anger.
We become overwhelmed with those emotions and begin to think about what could go wrong. In fact, we might obsessively think about these thoughts and worry about them (Also check out How To Stop Obsessing Over Someone?).
The good news is that most people have experienced irrational thoughts many times throughout their lives.
And there are ways to help you manage these feelings, rather than letting them control your mind. Here are three tips to challenge your thoughts:
Ask yourself whether the outcome is likely to occur. If you think about how unlikely it is that something bad will happen, you’ll probably calm down.
Check if your thought is rational. Think about why you’re feeling upset. Is your thought reasonable? Could it actually happen?
Try to put yourself in another person’s shoes. What would it be like if this situation did happen? How would you feel? Would you act differently?
4. Release The Anger Or Anxiety
If you want to release the emotion that’s causing you stress, try exercising. In fact, research suggests that engaging in physical activity releases serotonin, a chemical that helps reduce tension and promote relaxation.
Exercise also boosts dopamine levels, another hormone that reduces stress.
And according to one study, people who exercise are less likely to experience negative mood states like depression.
However, there’s a caveat here: If you express your anger physically, you could actually intensify the feelings.
One study found that participants who punched a wall while expressing anger felt worse afterward than those who expressed anger without hitting anything.
So if you’re feeling stressed, don’t go looking for a target; instead, take a deep breath and let the adrenaline flow.
5. Relaxing Your Body
When we’re anxious or angry, our bodies often go into fight or flight mode. We tighten our muscles, hold our breath, and sometimes even clench our teeth.
But there’s another way to deal with stress, anxiety, and anger—relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation helps us become aware of how tight our muscles are getting and teaches us to relax those muscles.
This simple technique can help reduce tension throughout your entire body and bring about deep breathing.
6. Have A Centered Object
When we are feeling anxious, our brains become flooded with negative thoughts. We start thinking about how things could go wrong, what might happen next, and whether we’ll ever feel safe again. In short, we think negatively.
If you want to live life without fear, try having a “centering object.” A centering object is something that reminds you of who you really are.
You know, the person inside that doesn’t care about what others think, or even if they don’t like you. You know, the person who isn’t afraid to love, laugh, cry, and be happy.
This person knows that happiness is possible, and he or she lives every day knowing that no matter what happens tomorrow, today is already perfect.
You can use a centering object to help you center yourself whenever you feel anxious or frustrated. All you have to do is grab one of your centering objects and tell yourself that you’re going to touch it when you feel anxious or upset.
For example, if you’re feeling anxious about school, pick up your favorite stuffed animal and say to yourself that you’re going to hold him or her when you’re feeling worried or nervous.
Or if you’re stressed out about work, put your hand on your heart and remind yourself that you’re strong enough to handle whatever comes your way.
Final Thoughts
Stress affects everyone differently. Some people tend to get stressed out easily, while others may not notice any changes at all. The best thing you can do is learn as much as you can about stress management, so you can find ways to manage it effectively.
Remember that stress is only temporary. It will pass eventually, but until then, you need to keep reminding yourself that you can handle this situation.
Hi, we are Ben Easter and Paige Stephens-Easter, and we have been married for 10 years. Together, we have immersed ourselves in the world of personal development, with our full-time business - Lucid Shift Coaching.
We believe that mental health and mindfulness are the most important things in a relationship, and we need to cherish these things in order to be the best versions of ourselves.
Our core values include Play, Growth, Connection, Collaboration, and Authenticity. These apply to our work, relationship, and all areas of our lives where we want to see improvement.
Please enjoy our website and learn more about personal development through mindfulness, nurturing your mental health, and more.
