The psychologist named five exercises to quickly reduce anxiety and panic

Simple body and breathing techniques that can be performed independently in any environment help to quickly cope with anxiety and panic attacks. This was reported on February 2 by psychologist, expert of the TV channel "Doctor" Tatiana Kotovich.

"Anxiety can be long-lasting, short-lived, occur in a traumatic situation, or seemingly for no reason. Panic is always short—lived, lasting from four to 10 minutes," Kotovich explained "Газете.Ru ".

According to the expert, the bodily reactions to anxiety and panic are similar: tightness, stiffness and shortness of breath appear. In an anxious state, a person often "freezes" and stops breathing normally, which leads to a lack of oxygen and increases fear. At the same time, chaotic and rapid breathing can only worsen the panic reaction, so it is important to work with the body consciously.

The psychologist called "grounding" the first effective exercise. It helps to regain a sense of support and security. To do this, press your feet firmly to the floor, take a deep breath through your nose and press your feet harder into the surface on a long exhale. Such a bodily sensation, according to the expert, gives the brain a signal that a person is safe.

The second exercise is the "scanner". It is aimed at finding and removing muscle clamps. It is necessary to mentally scan the body, pay attention to the tense areas, then inhale to increase the tension in them for a few seconds and exhale to slowly relax the muscles. The appearance of heat in the body indicates the correct performance of the technique.

Kotovich recommends performing the third exercise with the help of creativity. The "doodle" method involves chaotic drawing with felt-tip pens with two hands for several minutes while simultaneously synchronizing breathing. After that, you can examine the resulting images and finish them. According to the psychologist, the inclusion of imagination and creativity reduces the level of anxiety.

The fourth technique is "square breathing". It is especially useful in case of panic. You need to mentally or on paper imagine a square and synchronize your breathing with its sides: inhale, hold, exhale, and hold your breath again — four counts for each stage. Regular performance of this exercise helps to prevent anxiety attacks and regain a sense of control.

The specialist called attention switching the fifth way. To do this, it is enough to look around and find a certain number of objects of a given color or shape. Active search, according to Kotovich, triggers thinking and reduces emotional stress.

The psychologist emphasized that there are no age restrictions for these exercises, but for children they can be turned into a game. At the same time, she called inaction and the expectation that the condition will pass by itself one of the most common mistakes in anxiety and panic.

If anxiety conditions last for months, panic attacks become more frequent, or breathing techniques have only a short-term effect, the specialist recommends seeking professional help. According to her, cognitive behavioral therapy, the method of eye movement desensitization and processing (EMDR), as well as, if necessary, medical treatment under medical supervision are effective in such cases.

On October 24, vocal teacher, author of the phonopedic method of voice development and Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Viktor Yemelyanov told Izvestia about the connection of singing with mental health. According to him, such vocal activity can not only improve mood, but also reduce anxiety, help with insomnia and stabilize breathing.

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