4 Foolproof Methods to Overcome Anxiety Immediately

4 Foolproof Methods to Overcome Anxiety Immediately

Last update: 27 January, 2017

We can be victims of anxiety for many reasons. A dramatic event, stress before a key moment or even a magnificent imagination that makes us see into the future and predict catastrophe.

But whatever the reason, they all have two things in common. The first is that you need to calm yourself down to move forward. The second is the physical symptom that causes a short-circuit resulting in anxiety which we can control.

1. Controlling your breathing

It doesn’t matter what caused your state of anxiety. In all cases, a shortness of breath causes a kind of short-circuit in your body and your mind to occur. Breathing becomes rapid and shallow, which triggers other symptoms of anxiety.

In other words, if you are able to control your breathing you can control other symptoms of anxiety. But how can you control your breathing under these conditions? The truth is that it is simpler than it seems.

7/11 rule

To control your  breathing, you just you have to follow these simple steps to apply the rule known as  the 7/11 rule:

  • Stop
  • Concentrate on your breathing, without thinking about anything else
  • Inhale as deeply as you can while mentally counting up to 7
  • Exhale slowly while mentally counting up to 11

Do this for one minute. If at first you do not succeed, don’t worry. Repeat it again until you get it. The key is is to make the exhalation longer than the inhalation.

girl breathing with her eyes closed

2. Be prepared for situations that cause you anxiety

In many cases we are aware of the events that may cause us anxiety, either because we have already experienced them, or because the mere thought of them upsets us. In these cases, it is necessary to prepare ourselves so that we do not become victims of anxiety.

When you start to experience the first physical responses of anxiety you have to start to initiate the remedy. Do not let anxiety overwhelm you.

These first signs include acceleration of breathing which turns into a cold sweat, clammy hands, moodiness, uncoordinated movements and other symptoms that make your mind weaker in the moment of truth. Your imagination will do the rest.

If you find yourself in this situation, apply the 7/11 rule. Do not try to justify or understand the situation, nor should you try to rationalize what is happening to you until you’re able to control your breathing. And to do that, you have to let your mind go blank. So you will prepare for the final moment and it will be easier for you to calm down if you feel anxious again.

3. Master your imagination

Imagination has a role to play and it is responsible for us having goals and objectives, being able to plan our life and being able to dream. But sometimes, our imagination can play tricks on us.

girl thinking with anxiety

When we are are expecting something or when a new circumstance arises, it is natural to think of what will happen. We are usually capable of imagining scenarios that we could classify on a scale that goes from most favorable to least. However, there are people who are only able to imagine the low end of the scale and, therefore, overestimate the probability of negative scenarios occurring.

This is common when a person has a vision that the world is a hostile place, full of traps and designed to make you fall. Thus, we control anxiety that causes us to have this thought -if we have it- by the 7/11 rule. It will put us in a place to realistically estimate the probabilities of different scenarios.

4. Rationalize your emotions

In a state of anxiety, it is very difficult to think clearly. The mind is clouded. Emotions dominate us. It is when emotions are diluted that we begin to calm down. Rationalizing emotions can change the brain switch and move the emotional brain to thinking brain.

To do this, think on a scale from 1 to 10 and give a value to your own fear. By doing this, your brain will begin to think and fight the emotional control. Once you’ve given a value to your fear, display the value as if it were a thermometer and feel how it decreases little by little.

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This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.