Anxiety is one of the more common mental health issues, and it often accompanies depression, addiction and other challenges, making them even harder to manage. When we learn more about ourselves and our anxiety, we are better equipped to handle the complexities of our issues and can work to heal ourselves. Learning to manage our anxiety is one of the best things we can do for ourselves in recovery. The more stressed we are, the less likely we are to turn to our addictive substances and behaviors for relief. Increased anxiety can make us more likely to relapse. To work through our anxiety, we can explore different ways of calming ourselves down and bringing ourselves peace.
When we experience anxiety, we can become mentally and emotionally so overwhelmed that it’s hard to think straight. We have a hard time processing our thoughts and feelings, and this can make our anxiety and other issues even worse. Let’s try to create more stillness and quiet within ourselves. We can do this a number of ways, and it’s a great idea to experiment with different practices to find the ones that work best for you. Different meditation techniques you can try are focusing on your breathing and/or on a single point such as a candle flame or a calming image. You can practice different breathing exercises, such as 1:2 breathing, which is especially helpful for anxiety, where you make your exhale twice as long as your inhale. You can repeat calming affirmations such as “I am at peace within myself. Everything will be ok. I am working through this with grace and ease. I am being supported, guided and protected. I feel calm, patient and balanced.”
You can use writing to help yourself process your thoughts. Sometimes journaling or free writing can help you unburden yourself by getting everything out of your head and out onto paper. The act of writing can be soothing, and even if it doesn’t help you solve every problem in that moment, it can help to calm you down. So much of our anxious energy is stored in our bodies. You can try walking meditation, yoga, Tai chi, energy healing and other ways of calming our minds and bodies simultaneously.
The more we can reach a place of tranquility within ourselves, the easier it is to process our thoughts and move forward to find solutions to our problems.
We offer multiple kinds of therapy as well as mindfulness education. Call (575) 613-4810 for information on our treatment programs.
