What to do when you are feeling anxious

When you are feeling anxious about something, even if you don't know what it's about, you are experiencing fear of the unknown.  You may not know how something is going to turn out.  You may not know how someone is going to react.  You may feel a general unease about everything.  Some people just feel it all the time.

Somewhere you picked this up.  It could have been how your parents reacted to things when you were growing up and you learned that reaction.  You could have experienced an incident where you picked that up, like a car accident that took you by surprise or being taken advantage unexpectedly by someone.  It could have come from living in a period of uncertainty or stress for awhile.

When you experience this anxiousness, you are holding too much energy in the top of the body.  In this case, you can be holding too much in the rib cage and lung area as well as the adrenal glands, which are under the back ribs on each side right above the kidneys.  You can also be holding energy in the neck if you are trying to hold it all together and not speak about it. You can also hold it in your head around your eyes into the temples, forehead, and jaw.  You might experience headaches with this. Your mind may be racing or constantly trying to find a solution or keeping fearful thoughts away.  You can feel any one of these or a combination.

Action

What should you do?  You need to expend or move this excess energy. Here are some ideas:

1.  Go exercise.  Use up this energy.  Totally focus on your body.  Get out of your head.

2.  Sit and breathe.  Imagine this extra energy moving into other parts of your body, especially into your lower body and legs.  You can imagine the extra energy going out of your feet into the ground.  This helps to even out the energy and ground you.  Then imagine the energy in your body moving up and down evenly through your body. You'll feel sturdier and stronger.

3.  Go do something fun, something you like and get your mind off what you are worrying about.  You are shifting the energy to another topic.

4.  Think of an affirmation or spiritual saying that helps to soothe you, like "God is in control", " I trust life to take care of me", etc.  Keep it short and repeat it all day long or until you feel relaxed.

5. Imagine this energy as air.  Start punching into a pillow or punching bag imagining exhaling this air out of you.

Once this energy is expended or moved, you will feel less anxious, more relaxed, and lighter.  Try not to go back to worrying.  Keep doing any one of the above ideas whenever you start to feel anxious, the sooner the better.

If you have any other ideas or want to share your experience with one of the above ideas, please do. I'd love to hear.  Enjoy!