
Introducing Techniques for Managing Anxiety
In this article, we will explore a series of practical techniques for managing anxiety and improving psychological well-being, without necessarily resorting to complex methods.We will start by managing physical symptoms, such as tachycardia, to understand how to cope with the acceleration of the heartbeat typical of moments of anxiety.Next, we will discuss mindfulness techniques, tools that help us stay grounded in the present moment, reducing the spiral of negative thoughts that can fuel anxiety. We will also delve into methods like grounding, which helps us reconnect with our bodies and the surrounding environment, and visualizations, a technique that, through mental images, can calm us and guide our minds towards a state of serenity.Each proposed technique is simple to apply but powerful in its impact, and I invite you to explore them with curiosity and openness to discover which ones best fit your lifestyle.
Managing Tachycardia
Among the most common physiological manifestations of anxiety and stress is tachycardia. Tachycardia is an alteration of heart function that causes a significant arrhythmia: suddenly, the heart begins to beat abnormally, rapidly, for a period that can last from a few seconds to several hours.This situation is often accompanied by breathing difficulties, nausea, and intense sweating.
Causes and Effects of Tachycardia We mentioned that tachycardia is associated with feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, and panic. At the slightest perception of danger, our body activates a physiological mechanism involving the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system. The brain sends a message to defend or flee, which is translated into physical symptoms such as muscle tension, reduced blood flow to the peripheral parts of the body, and increased heart rate.
Now, let's explore one of the simplest techniques to manage tachycardia.Imagine a soccer player preparing to take a penalty kick: the anticipation of the goal fills them with responsibility, and the fear of making a mistake will raise their heart rate. In this situation, if the player focuses only on the signals from their body, the risk of failure may quickly become a reality.In such cases, it can be helpful to avoid focusing too much on the signals our body is sending.
The STOP Technique Let’s stop as if we were facing a STOP sign.Focus your attention on a distant point, look away, and fix your gaze on any object. Bring this object into the center of your thoughts for a moment, ask yourself what it’s used for, how it works, and how useful it might be in your daily life. Imagine how you might use it in the future. Focus on it fully for a few minutes.This will give your heart time to slow down, and only when you are calmer should you return to focusing on the problem that has been troubling you.
Diaphragmatic Breathing The rhythm and type of breathing can have a significant impact on the physiological aspects of stress. In general, two types of breathing can be distinguished: shallow (or clavicular) breathing, which involves the chest muscles, and deep (diaphragmatic) breathing, which uses the diaphragm, the muscle primarily responsible for breathing.Typically, during periods of high stress, due to muscle tension, people primarily use shallow breathing. However, this leads to less air being filled into the lungs and, as a result, an increased breathing rate.In contrast, diaphragmatic breathing has a slower and more steady rhythm. Those who have played wind instruments know the difference between these types of breathing and the musical effects they produce.What concerns us here is the physiological activation of the body, which can be significantly reduced through diaphragmatic breathing.
How to Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing To learn diaphragmatic breathing, it can be helpful to lie down on a bed and place your hands on your belly. If your belly rises during inhalation, you are practicing diaphragmatic breathing. If not, try to make your belly rise with each breath, relaxing your abdominal muscles to allow the diaphragm to contract.Once you’ve mastered this type of breathing, you can practice brief ten-minute sessions daily. Inhale for about three seconds and exhale for five seconds. Extending the time of exhalation naturally stimulates the relaxation response. After some time, you’ll find the rhythm that works best for you.This breathing technique can be practiced in moments of calm and later used as a valuable tool to manage anxiety-inducing situations.
When can we use diaphragmatic breathing?
Diaphragmatic breathing can be particularly useful in a variety of situations, especially when facing anxiety, stress, or emotional tension. Using the diaphragm helps reduce the body's response to stress and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation. It can be an excellent strategy for:
Reducing anxiety: Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, counteracting the "fight or flight" response typical of anxiety, lowering heart rate, reducing blood pressure, and improving digestion.
Managing stress: It helps reduce cortisol levels, the stress hormone, and increases mental focus.
Improving sleep: Diaphragmatic breathing can be useful before bedtime as it helps calm the body and mind, promoting deep relaxation.
Increasing concentration: Regulating your breathing helps improve brain oxygenation, boosting mental clarity and focus in stressful situations.
Enhancing emotional well-being: With practice, diaphragmatic breathing can be used as a tool to improve emotional regulation, especially in moments of intense emotions.
By practicing it regularly, this technique becomes a valuable ally in everyday situations, helping to keep the body and mind more balanced.
Muscle Relaxation
Relaxation is the state in which the body's activity stabilizes to normal levels. In this state, we experience a sense of well-being where our body is not being asked to respond to environmental demands.
To reduce stress, especially chronic stress, learning muscle relaxation techniques can be helpful.
Jacobson's Muscle Relaxation
The most widely used and historically effective procedure is Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation (1929). It involves alternating moments of voluntarily contracting certain muscles and moments of relaxing them.
For example, you could start by tightening the muscles in your face, then relaxing them, and proceed with the shoulders, arms, abdominal muscles, legs, and feet.
Typically, this is practiced with 5 seconds of contraction followed by a quick relaxation lasting 15 seconds before moving to the next muscle. Once the cycle is complete, repeat it three times.
With practice, you will find your own rhythm. If done daily, the exercise will become increasingly easier, allowing you to access the relaxation state even just by "thinking" about it.
Techniques to Increase Awareness
Increasing awareness can be useful in various aspects of daily life as it helps improve emotional regulation, understanding interpersonal dynamics, and enhancing life quality.
In terms of stress and anxiety management, awareness helps identify early signs, allowing for timely intervention.
To increase awareness, we could start by asking ourselves some questions:
During events where I feel anxiety increasing, I could start by asking myself: "What am I thinking right now? Was there a particular event that triggered this response? How do I feel now? What physical sensations are manifesting in me? (e.g., tachycardia, sweating...)."
After the event, I can then ask myself: "What actions did I take afterward? Did I react by eliminating the stressor, perhaps by distancing myself from it? How long did it take for me to feel better? Or, would I behave the same way in the same situation? If I used a relaxation technique, was it helpful?"
This type of questioning helps increase our awareness, brings us back to the present moment, and allows us to better understand our emotional and physical reactions. Over time, we can learn to recognize stress signals before they become overwhelming, thereby improving our ability to manage emotions and adopt more effective strategies to handle stressful situations.
Keeping a Journal in Therapy
Widely used in therapy in various forms and applications, keeping a journal to note situations that triggered anxiety can be a helpful tool to clearly identify the causes of that response. It also gives us the chance to highlight the mechanisms we used to cope with the situation and whether they yielded positive or negative results.
Avoidance: Among the most common behaviors exhibited by those suffering from anxiety is the act of avoiding a particular situation or person. It will be useful to also note this behavior, focusing on the pleasant and unpleasant reactions it has triggered.
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Autogenic Training
One of the most effective protocols for managing stress, anxiety, and depression is Autogenic Training. This technique, developed by Johannes Schultz, is a deep relaxation method that helps connect the body and mind, promoting greater internal awareness.
Autogenic training is based on the self-induction of relaxation states through exercises involving breath control, body awareness, and muscle relaxation.
In practice, autogenic training teaches you to focus on specific physical sensations, allowing you to develop greater body awareness and the ability to self-regulate.
If you're interested in learning more, you can also read: Autogenic Training
Grounding Techniques to Help Manage Panic Attacks
Grounding techniques help a person return to the present, interrupting the flow of disorganized and anxious thoughts, like those experienced during a panic attack. These tools can help reduce the intensity of the crisis and regain control, promoting a return to a state of calm.
Cold Technique: This technique involves placing a hand on ice, a piece of ice, or in very cold water. It is a very useful strategy for dealing with panic attacks. The idea is to anchor the body to the present moment through an intense physical experience, which interrupts the flow of anxious thoughts and helps reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by fear, restoring the sensation of control.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique is another simple strategy for managing panic attacks. It involves focusing on your senses to "bring yourself" into the present moment. Here’s how it works:
5 things you see – Look around you and observe five distinct objects.
4 things you hear – Listen and identify four sounds.
3 things you touch – Focus on three physical sensations you feel (for example, the contact with your skin or the surface you are sitting on).
2 things you smell – If possible, identify two distinct smells.
1 thing you taste – Focus on a taste you can feel (e.g., a sip of water or the taste of food).
This technique helps focus the mind on sensory details, distracting from the spiral of anxious thoughts. It is particularly effective during panic attacks when the body and mind are overwhelmed by the sensation of losing control.
Visualizations
Visualizations are relaxation techniques in which you vividly imagine a place or situation that induces calm and well-being, using all the senses to activate a positive response in the body and mind.
They can be divided into two main types:
Guided Visualization: This involves listening to a voice that guides you through the imagination process, often in relaxing or peaceful environments. A therapist or a pre-recorded audio helps the person focus on positive, relaxing scenes, stimulating feelings of calm, safety, and serenity.
Autonomous Visualization: In this case, the person uses their mind to create positive or relaxing images without external help. This type of visualization can be practiced anywhere and at any time.
What is Visualization for?
Managing stress and anxiety: Helps reduce emotional load and promotes relaxation.
Improving concentration and performance: Athletes, students, and professionals can use visualization to mentally prepare for challenging performances.
Strengthening self-efficacy and confidence: Imagining successes or positive scenarios helps foster a more serene and optimistic mood, improving self-perception and the ability to face daily challenges.
Autonomous Visualization
When practiced alone, visualization requires a bit more discipline and concentration.
Your Mental Refuge
The person can start by imagining a place that makes them feel calm and safe, such as a deserted beach, a lush forest, or a quiet garden. It can be helpful to visualize not only the surroundings but also the physical sensations that arise from it, such as the light breeze on the skin, the sound of waves crashing on the shore, or the scent of fresh flowers in the air. The key is that the chosen place evokes feelings of serenity and well-being, creating a mental space where the person feels protected, away from daily stress and worries.
To make the experience even more engaging, one can imagine their body completely relaxing within this visualization, with every part of the body unwinding while immersed in this safe environment.
A Distant Landscape
Another visualization technique involves imagining a landscape or natural scene in the distance (or visualized within a painting), such as a mountain, lake, or valley. The person starts by visualizing the entire landscape from a distance, trying to perceive the beauty and serenity of the place. Then, gradually, they imagine getting closer to the landscape, immersing themselves in the scene and feeling part of it.
This approach is symbolic and can be used to move the mind from a state of anxiety or tension to one of greater awareness and calm. The idea of gradually approaching the landscape suggests a progressive release of tension as the person fully immerses themselves in the positive sensations that the landscape evokes. This type of visualization helps reduce emotional detachment, making the individual feel more grounded and connected with their body and the present moment.
Both of these techniques promote a sense of detachment from daily worries and offer an opportunity for deep relaxation, reinforcing the connection between the mind and body.
Relaxing Herbs to Combat Anxiety, Stress, and Help the Nervous System
Herbal plants have a multitude of beneficial effects. They have always been used in cooking not only to add flavor to our dishes but also to take advantage of their health benefits.
Some of these plants also affect our psyche, revealing pronounced antidepressant and relaxing properties.
For further reading on this topic, feel free to visit the "Herb Corner" section, where you will find a list of the most common medicinal herbs, many of which have effects on our mind.
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Written by
Dr Elizabeth Moore, Psychologist
(consultation only in Italian)
For clarifications regarding the article or to book an appointment in person or online, please visit the Contacts section or:
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Bibliography
M. Farné, “L’ansia”, ed. Il Mulino, 2003;
R. Infrasca, “Il disturbo da attacchi di panico”, ed. Franco Angeli, 2000;
G. Nardone, “Oltre i limiti della paura”, ed. BUR Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli, 2007;
G. Nardone, “Paura, panico, fobie. La terapia in tempi brevi”, ed. TEA Pratica, 2010;C. D.
Spielberg, - - Inventario per l’ansia di «Stato» e di «Tratto». Nuova versione italiana dello S.T.A.I. – Forma Y. Firenze: Organizzazioni Speciali, 1989.
External resources
If you wish to explore the topic of psychological manipulation further and find relevant articles and studies, consider these important academic and institutional resources.
National Institute of Mental Health.Link: National Institute of Mental Health
Journal of Anxiety Disorders.Link: Journal of Anxiety Disorders
American Psychological Association.Link: American Psychological Association
Asian Journal of PsychiatryLink: Asian Journal of Psychiatry
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