What you’re getting wrong about anxiety

I wanted to talk about a misconception about anxiety today.

Often when you’re dealing with anxiety, people recommend practises like seated meditation, yin and restorative. Practices that require stillness.

Though these recommendations come with good intentions, they’re a bit misguided.

When you’re dealing with anxiety, your body is getting you ready for action, you’re increasing activation of the sympathetic nervous system, getting you ready to run or fight.

You’re mobilising energy stores throughout the body. Your heart rate is increasing, your breathing is getting faster.

So to be still, is probably the exact opposite of what your body wants at that moment.

Practices like seated meditation are a great long-term strategy for working with anxiety over time, for helping you step back and observe your thoughts without feeling overwhelmed by them.

But in the moment? It might even make you feel worse.

So what should you do instead?

Start with something challenging, something that’s going to help you use the energy that’s been building up in your body.

You’ve got complete free reign here!

Try a challenging yoga practice, run, dance, lift, shake - whatever feels best for you in that moment.

Then work to slow down your movements, slow down your breath and find more stillness once you’ve used some of that energy.

Want to learn in depth techniques to help you soothe anxiety in the moment as well as over time?

Sign up to The Anxiety Reset workshop today.

You’ll also learn about your nervous system and how to work with your physiology rather than against it.

Click the button below to find out more.