Looking for ways to cope with Anxiety? Good news, anxiety is actually designed to protect us from danger and is an adaptation of a fear response. Luckily, there are a few holistic ways to reduce anxiety when it feels unbearable. This includes weighted blankets, aromatherapy, cold exposure, belly breathing, dry brushing, and art (just to name a few). Keep reading to learn more!

Weighted Blankets

Wrapping yourself in a weighted blanket can help ease anxiety. Essentially, the pressure on your body provided by a weighted blanket can help to calm you by activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers your heart rate when you’re stressed. A weighted blanket uses “pressure therapy”, a calm-inducing amount of pressure on your entire body. When you’re anxious, your flight-or-fight response in your autonomic nervous system kicks in. The pressure of weighted blankets helps to put your autonomic nervous system into rest-and-digest mode. This can help provide a sense of calm and reduces anxiety symptoms like an increased heart rate. Be sure to find the blanket that works best for you! Oftentimes, the size and weight of the blanket depend on the person.

Aromatherapy and Smells

Different scents can have different effects on your body! Aromatherapy can affect your mood, stress levels, and libido. Aromatherapy uses essential oils that are distilled from plants and are then absorbed by your body. The scents released by the oils act on the hypothalamus, which can influence your hormonal system. A study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing  found that aromatherapy, like lavender, can specifically help with anxiety. Incorporating aromatherapy throughout your home can be a great way to do this (just stay away from synthetic scents and air fresheners). Behavioral health specialist Jane Ehrman, MEd. states, “you can create fragrant stress relievers in your own kitchen and provide the kind of mood you’re looking for when you’re trying to calm down”. Try boiling cinnamon sticks, orange or lemon peels.

Ice / Cold Exposure 

Ice and cold exposure can also help anxiety. When you make contact with ice during a panic attack, it is called a “grounding exercise.” Dr. Susan Albers says this “changes your sensations” and “brings a new sense of mindfulness” by triggering a reaction through the body. Cold exposure stimulates pain receptors instead of panic receptors, so the body then tries to cope with pain instead of panic. A common Dialectical Therapy Behavioral (DBT) skill, called TIPP, uses cold exposure as a coping skill. TIPP stands for Temperature –Intense Exercise –Paced breathing and – Paired muscle relaxation. This skill is used in times of high emotional states like when you feel overwhelmed and your emotions are going to consume you. This starts with changing your temperature by submerging your face in cold water for a few seconds at a time (you can also place bags of frozen peas under your eyes). Then, do aerobic exercise for 5 minutes. This is followed by practice paced breathing, and then progressive muscle relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation entails working from toe to head (or head to toe) and tensing a select muscle group, then releasing all of the tension in that muscle group. TIPP is a successful strategy because it is fast-acting. Give it a try!

Breath into your Belly Button 

Learning how to belly breathe instead of chest breathing can help change the way you react to stress. Harvard Health Publishing explains that “belly breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs from the head down the neck, through the chest, and to the colon.” This will actually activate your relaxation response  which can reduce your blood pressure and heart rate. This in turn will help to lower your stress levels. One way to try belly breathing is to place a hand on your belly button and try and ‘breath into it’. You can also imagine lowering your breath from your chest to your belly. If you find yourself chest breathing, try shifting the breath as low as you can towards your belly button so that your tummy expands and contracts, not your chest. 

Dry Brushing

Dry brushing can help address anxiety because it activates your nervous system by stimulating nerve endings in the skin. To get the benefits of dry brushing, you should find a natural stiff-bristled bath or shower brush that has a long handle. The long handle can help you reach hard-torech-spots like your back. To dry brush, brush in short strokes towards your heart-center. Dry brushing has other benefits as well. It improves blood flow, exfoliates your skin, smooths out cellulite, and can relieve tension in your body which can also help reduce anxiety.

With Art

Art making can also help reduce anxiety. You can practice re-focusing your attention from your anxiety to the present moment by shifting all of your awareness and attention on slowly drawing or painting within a circular shape. Try setting a timer for three-minutes and simply create within a circle, letting go of judgment or rules! Drawing circles can be a healing and containing process. Some find that drawing circular shapes increases a sense of calm and containment. You can learn more about healing circle drawings here.

Davenport Creative Arts Therapy

Davenport Creative Arts Therapy offers an integrative approach to mental health and wellbeing for children, teens and adults. Our therapists holistically address anxiety concerns of panic, tension, and worry. You can learn more on our website!