Yesterday morning, I asked my readers “What are you feeling?” Later in the day, I learned that everybody in my Coping and Healing group was feeling anxious.
Just in case you’re feeling anxious, here’s the list the group created together about how to feel less anxious.
I got a little anxious, just now, when I momentarily couldn’t read the last entry in the middle column, above. I feel less anxious remembering that it says “balloons” — somebody in the group shared their anxiety-reducing technique of imagining fears attached to balloons that float away.
What would you add to that brainstormed list of “How to Feel Less Anxious”?
Might any of my other photos from yesterday help you feel less anxious?
Personally, I feel less anxious when I
- am all that I can be,
- own my leadership qualities,
- imagine new leaders for our country,
- find the safety in the moment,
- recognize that everybody has mood swings,
- show up,
- am gentle with myself and others,
- tell the truth,
- avoid the cognitive distortion of black-and-white (all-or-nothing) thinking by seeing shades of gray,
- enjoy Michael’s nourishing food,
- sit outside,
- wear cool socks,
- accept that sometimes I’ll be running late,
- hang around with nice kitties, and
- share my anxieties (like,now, in this daily blog).
Here‘s a video titled “How to be Less Anxious.”
As I mentioned in group yesterday, one person’s anxiety reducer might be another person’s anxiety increaser, as you can see in these comments about that video:
Maria ER
3 years ago
This video stressed me outIan P
3 years ago
I’m not sure ‘the indifference of nature’ is making me feel less anxious, lol.
Laura Thomas
4 years ago
I feel like this isn’t so much about being less anxious as it is about being more mindful. Still good, though.
Survive the Jive
5 years ago
The sea is so primal, even the mountains are younger. It evokes visceral feelings of man in context to the earth. Strange that meditating on the comparative insignificance of our lives to the span of nature should actually be so life affirming.Ashley Valentin
2 years ago
Reading the comments made me more anxious than the video…
Experiencing and expressing gratitude make me feel less anxious, so thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.
The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally 
Keep a safe distance from cliff edges
An excellent way to feel less anxious, Derrick.
Hello Ann, we all have our anxious moments….. I mainly go for detachment…. I turn off from the world….. No TV, and no radio, not even a newspaper….. and I retire to my writing haven… listen to the music that suits the mood of my soul,… and write/jot down little phrases and small pieces of thoughts that are humming in my mind…… and when I relax,… I go to bed……. and yep….. I’m going to bed now…..
Thanks for helping us all be less anxious, Ivor.
I breathe deep and go forward, Ann.
Now I feel less anxious too, Mark.
When we are responsible are not always we anxioux ? 😉
Love ❤
Michel
With this lovely comment, Michel, you are now responsible for helping me feel less anxious.
I am blowing on your anxiety , Ann, and it goes away !! 🙂 or I am singing for you !
“The sea has been pounding the rocks mercilessly since Dawn” could also be headed as, “the sea has been helping the rocks with their morning ablutions since Dawn.”
Thank you, Maureen, for that anxiety-reducing reframe.
I don’t have an answer yet, but I found the other suggestions very helpful. Thank you
Thank you for this helpful comment.
Hope you feel less anxious when you come to have your teeth cleaned
I do!
I’m not so sure I feel anxious as much as I feel stressed. I am anxious waiting to go somewhere until I get there, or get anxious driving somewhere by myself, thinking I might make the wrong turn. Well, I just disproved my first sentence, didn’t I? The way I deal with it? Just breathe. Long and slow. Find my center, calm it, and start again.
Thanks for helping me feel less anxious and less stressed with this calming comment, Claudia.
Interesting that we were on the same wave length again today. As Claudia mentioned in her comment above, “stress” and “anxiety” are closely related. I think your ideas for relieving anxiety would work for relieving stress as well. Several of your ideas were on my list of a half a dozen. There is something to be said for the idea of knowing it … ” isn’t so much about being less anxious as it is about being more mindful.” Be mindful of your need for peace and your best avenue for finding it.
Thank you for this mindful and helpful comment, Jan!
Normally sharing with others–especially in a group setting–can make me less anxious. Seeing Michael’s latkes, though, reminds me of a story Philip Lopate told about his childhood. He couldn’t remember his teacher’s name when his mother went to write a note to explain his absence. He thought it was “Mrs. Latke”. He later found out her name was really “Mrs. Babke” which, he said, was equally implausible.
I was lucky enough to meet him when I was in college at an English department event where, not surprisingly, I was making a lot of jokes. Someone called him “Mr. Lopate” and he said “Please call me Phil.” I said, “It’s nice to meet you, Phil,” and he said, “No, YOU call me Mr. Lopate!”
Then he smiled and I felt a lot less anxious.
I wonder if you’ll be surprised if I share that I could have called Michael “Mr. Codcake” yesterday. Thank you for another anxiety-reducing comment, Chris, and you can call me whatever you like.
Deep breathing, a walk in the nature or by the sea is for me the best anxious relievers.
Those are great anxious relievers, Irene, and I’m also assuming that looking at photos of beautiful kitties also helps.
Absolutely yes 😀
I hum. It doesn’t matter if the humming makes sense musically either. The drone helps to break the connection to whatever I may be feeling anxious about. Very soothing! 🙂
Thank you for reminding me that humming during a mindfulness exercise recently really helped reduce anxiety. I’m going to share that mindfulness exercise in my groups today. Hummmmmmmmmm!
Alrighty then. Sweet!☺️
I hate feeling anxious and it happens more then I would like
You’re not alone, Joanne, and I hope that realizing that helps reduce anxiety.
I can be going along having a great day and an anxiety-producing thought can come at me from seemingly nowhere and suddenly I find myself in a stew! I hate that! I like the list compiled from your group. There are a lot of good suggestions in there!
I’m going to use those techniques to help myself feel less anxious about missing this comment for weeks, Debra!