So what is Anxiety? Like most negative natural responses both in the body and our emotions, anxiety is a reaction to fear. Fear of the unknown, of the future. All the "what if's". What if I lose my job? What if he leaves me? What if I can't pay the bill on time? What if I can't make it? Fear of stepping outside, or of it all just being too much. This fear triggers our body into reactions like rapid breathing, increased heart rate, trembling or sweating. You may have difficulty controlling worry, feel nervous, tense and quick to anger.

We all experience anxiety from time to time, and we all have different stressors and triggers that contribute to our anxiety. The more we can learn about these fears and where they come from the easier it becomes to control. We need to learn to live in the present and become problem solvers around the triggers that cause our thoughts and feelings to veer off track.

Here are 5 Tips to help you tame your anxiety.

1. Breathe

If you feel your anxiety starting to effect your breathing, slow it down. Take deep breathes and count them as you go. This brings you back to your body and into the present moment.

2. Practice Meditation

Consistent meditation brings you into closer connection with your self and something greater than yourself. In meditation we connect to calming, joyful energy and learn to become more present and flowing in our lives. Meditation can also be used to heal the triggers that are the source of your anxiety.

3. Exercise/Fresh air

Moving is a great way to release your body's reaction to anxiety, you can take a walk or go for a run outside. Breathe in the fresh air and allow yourself to energetically release the anxiety. If you are in a position to, even jumping up and down, boxing, dancing can all help release the tension.

4. Journal

Journaling is a great way to get all those thoughts that are causing anxiety out of your head. Plus once again the exercise brings you into the present moment. This exercise when done regularly can help you to pin point your triggers and stressors, leading to what is at the core of your issue. you can then heal this through meditation.

5. Self Talk/Fear setting

Anxiety comes from us worrying about things that usually haven't actually happened yet. We can work ourselves up with thoughts of what if's and how will I ever. When you start underestimating your ability to overcome what might happen, look for the facts in the situation and ask yourself is that actually true. You can fear set your issue:

Define - What are you afraid of/Worried about?

Prevent - What can you do to prevent it?

Repair - What could you do if the worst happened?

You can learn more about fear setting from Tim Ferris here.

The next time you feel anxious try one of these techniques and see how you go. If you find your anxiety is becoming more and more frequent please contact your health care professional or shoot me a message and we can have a chat.

If you are unsure if you experience anxiety here is a list of symptoms as set out by Beyond Blue:

• Physical: panic attacks, hot and cold flushes, racing heart, tightening of the chest, quick breathing, restlessness, or feeling tense, wound up and edgy
• Psychological: excessive fear, worry, catastrophizing, or obsessive thinking
• Behavioural: avoidance of situations that make you feel anxious which can impact on study, work or social life

Thanks for reading, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

And before you go join me on FaceBook and Instagram.

Happy Meditating!

Hayles xx