Tips on Reducing Anxiety (so that you control it and it doesn’t control you).
1. Reward yourself for effort. People with
anxiety are afraid to start projects, or answer questions, because they fear
being wrong so much. If you start a scary math problem or begin a project-tell
yourself “Good job. You were scared, and you did it anyway).
2. Use a ton of positive self-talk. Find good
things you did & praise yourself in your head or out loud.
3. Use thought-stopping techniques when you get
in the negative thought cycle. For example, “Math, I can’t
do math, I am STUPID at math, I am going to fail.....NO, I won’t talk to myself
that way, I CAN do math. I CAN DO THIS. I am smart and I work really hard. I
will NOT fail. If I fail though, my parents, friends, and family still love me.
I will not be attacked or beaten up. I will not be stoned with rotten peanuts,
and I bet I will do better than I think I will.” Feels odd, since you are
probably used to beating yourself up in your head, but it will work if you do
it.
4. Learn relaxation techniques (listed below).
Practice them 2-3 times a day, so that you can do them before & during the
test. These will take practice and it will be hard, BUT, there is NO RIGHT OR
WRONG WAY TO DO THEM:) You can adjust them to fit you & your situation. The
idea is to get your mind of the source of the anxiety (stupid tests) and be
more in the present and focus on your body, so that your mind can relax &
focus on what is most important.
A. Deep breathing. Inhale
slowly through your nose on a count of 5, exhale very slowly on a count of 10
through your mouth. Pay attention to your breathing and imagine the breath is stress & anxiety leaving
your body.
B. Close your eyes &
imagine a place & time where you are most relaxed. Then imagine what you would hear, smell, and feel at
that place. Really focus on being there in your head, so that you can give your
brain a break. Your body will naturally start to relax as you remember &
start to almost “experience” that place.
C. Progressive muscle
relaxations
Starting with your toes and
moving up, tighten/squeeze your muscles as tight/hard as you can for a count of
5. Then let them out for a count of 3. Move to one foot, then the other, then one
calf, then the other, then one thigh, then the other, then your rear,
then your belly, then your fingers on one hand, then the hand, then do your
hands one at time, then your arms one at a time, then your shoulders (both),
then your neck, and finally your face. You should feel less tense when you are
done.
5. Exercise daily. Moderate to rigorous exercise
helps reduce stress AND burn off excess energy.
6. Get good sleep. Turn off all electronics (yes
cell phone/tablet/tv ) & do non-stimulating things before bed (like reading
a physics textbook). Make sure your room is dark, quiet (use a fan or
humidifier to filter out noises), and cool.
7. Consider taking melatonin to help regulate
sleep (talk to your doctor to make sure it is ok).
8. Avoid caffeine when possible. It will ramp
you up & make anxiety worse.
9. Get some sunshine & time outside. Both
are proven to lift moods & reduce anxiety.
10. Fish oil has been shown to reduce anxiety (and depression in
people with clinical depression). Talk with your doctor to see if taking fish
oil would be safe. The fish oil needs high levels of EPA to be most effective.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/11/19/fish-oil-calms-anxiety-osu-study-finds.html
Dr. Sarah Graves, LSSP
Sources:
3. http://www.spring.org.uk/2011/08/feeling-anxious-5-scientifically-proven-relaxation-techniques.php
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