Treat Anxiety with Action

It’s crunch-time for many students right now, with the semester halfway over and exams on the horizon.  This is for you, and anyone else who might be struggling with anxiety. 

Anxiety disorders have reached epidemic proportions.  Why?

Physical inactivity coupled with a busy brain produces anxiety, in everyone.  We are very busy THINKERS in our Western world today. Less and less we move our bodies to reconcile the energy produced by thinking, and with this imbalance comes a steady stream of anxious energy stored in physical form. 

Some tools that can reduce anxiety in an instant:

The 5-Point Check - When we are feeling anxious, we are scrambling up into our brain and leaving our physical bodies, insomuch as we know how.  To soothe these symptoms, reconnect with your body one sense at a time. What can I feel with my fingers right here where I sit? What can I smell nearby?  When I look about this space, what colours do I see? And so on… This is a really simple tool for settling anxiety when in public. No one can tell you are busy grounding yourself with attention to each physical sensation. 

Belly Breathe - Put your hand on your abdomen.  Breathe until your hand extends with your belly.  Slowly exhale through your mouth. Repeat. This is something to practice any time of day, in any location.  Not only will it unruffle any jangly energy, it will also send much-needed oxygen into weary cells. 

Walk It Off - There is simply nothing like a walk to melt away the anxious energy stored up from sitting and staring at a screen.  Spice it up with some nature and you’re truly there. Walking with a friend produces additional companionship feel-goods (oxytocin).  Walking alone serves as a meditation of sorts. Any which way, your mental state is soothed by the expenditure of physical energy. 

Treat Anxiety with Action.  Any form will do, but attempting to “think” your way through an anxious moment is futile, when it is thinking that got you there in the first place. 

Looking for more assistance? It is possible counselling could benefit you. Some of our services include:

Anxiety Treatment

Depression Counselling

Grief Counselling

LGBTQIA2S+ Inclusive

Trauma Treatment

Visit our Explore Your Options page to learn more.

Kim Sargent 

Clinical Director 

Canadian Family Health Counselling