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EASE ANXIETY WITH THESE 3 SIMPLE TECHNIQUES
If you’ve never thought of anxiety as clutter before, think back to the last time you felt anxious about something. Did it create obstacles to achieving a goal? Slow your productivity? Reduce the quality of your work? Hello, clutter. (And for anyone who thinks anxiety actually drives better performance, check out this study, which suggests exactly the opposite.)
So what should you do when anxiety creeps in and threatens to cloud your otherwise clear mind? We asked the barre3 home-office team to share strategies that work for them. The varied answers are the perfect reminder that everyone is different—what works beautifully for one person may not be effective for another.
Read on for barre3 staffers’ tips and techniques for easing anxiety.
MOVE
VP of Research and Development, Lisa Schale-Drake spends her days evolving the barre3 workout, so it’s no surprise that she turns to movement when she needs to get into a better headspace. “When I’m feeling anxious, I like to go for a walk without my phone,” she says. “It gives me the opportunity to look around, breathe, and just be with nature. My second option? Listen to calming music—this simple go-to is a surefire way to calm the nervous system, find my center, and chill. I also love me a cup of tea. Best anxiety drink ever! And last, but definitely not least, take a barre3 class! Exercise is truly the first defense against anxiety.” Want to read more about how exercise eases anxiety? Check out this article.
BREATHE
The benefits of breathwork are so powerful that we work breathing techniques into every barre3 class. Studio Team Coordinator Jennifer Dallas takes it beyond the studio, using breath as a way to ease anxiety. “I breathe in slowly through my mouth for 8 seconds, hold for 5-10 seconds, and then slowly let the air out through my nose,” she explains. “Then I’ll pause with no air in my lungs for for another 5-10 seconds, and repeat. It’s a simple way to help me calm my racing mind and relax my nerves with nothing but my body and the air I breathe.”
TAKE CONTROL
“My go-to resource might be a little unorthodox,” says Web Developer Ryan Brown. “It’s a book! In Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks, Barry McDonagh gives these steps to addressing panic in the moment:”
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- Diffuse the situation. Shrug it off, say “Whatever! I see you anxiety—this isn’t my first rodeo!”
-
- Allow/accept the anxiety to be there. Don’t try to fight it—that will make it worse.
-
- Run toward it. Ask yourself to make the sensations you feel even worse. This sounds terrible, but it actually works like reverse psychology. You no longer become afraid of it.
-
- Engage. Get focused on what you have to do next. This will break you out of your anxiety loop.
The bottom line? We all experience anxiety, whether it’s a racing mind running through your to-dos as you’re trying to fall asleep, persistent worry about friends or family members, or the constant pressures of society telling us to do more, be more, achieve more. And while we can’t always control the factors that produce it, we can make choices around how we respond.
NOTE: Anxiety can manifest in all kinds of ways. For this article, we’re addressing the day-to-day anxiety we all face, but other types can be far more serious. If you’re concerned about your anxiety level, it’s important to seek help from an expert.
If you’ve never thought of anxiety as clutter before, think back to the last time you felt anxious about something. Did it create obstacles to achieving a goal? Slow your productivity? Reduce the quality of your work? Hello, clutter. (And for anyone who thinks anxiety actually drives better performance, check out this study, which suggests exactly the opposite.)
So what should you do when anxiety creeps in and threatens to cloud your otherwise clear mind? We asked the barre3 home-office team to share strategies that work for them. The varied answers are the perfect reminder that everyone is different—what works beautifully for one person may not be effective for another.
Read on for barre3 staffers’ tips and techniques for easing anxiety.
MOVE
VP of Research and Development, Lisa Schale-Drake spends her days evolving the barre3 workout, so it’s no surprise that she turns to movement when she needs to get into a better headspace. “When I’m feeling anxious, I like to go for a walk without my phone,” she says. “It gives me the opportunity to look around, breathe, and just be with nature. My second option? Listen to calming music—this simple go-to is a surefire way to calm the nervous system, find my center, and chill. I also love me a cup of tea. Best anxiety drink ever! And last, but definitely not least, take a barre3 class! Exercise is truly the first defense against anxiety.” Want to read more about how exercise eases anxiety? Check out this article.
BREATHE
The benefits of breathwork are so powerful that we work breathing techniques into every barre3 class. Studio Team Coordinator Jennifer Dallas takes it beyond the studio, using breath as a way to ease anxiety. “I breathe in slowly through my mouth for 8 seconds, hold for 5-10 seconds, and then slowly let the air out through my nose,” she explains. “Then I’ll pause with no air in my lungs for for another 5-10 seconds, and repeat. It’s a simple way to help me calm my racing mind and relax my nerves with nothing but my body and the air I breathe.”
TAKE CONTROL
“My go-to resource might be a little unorthodox,” says Web Developer Ryan Brown. “It’s a book! In Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks, Barry McDonagh gives these steps to addressing panic in the moment:”
-
- Diffuse the situation. Shrug it off, say “Whatever! I see you anxiety—this isn’t my first rodeo!”
-
- Allow/accept the anxiety to be there. Don’t try to fight it—that will make it worse.
-
- Run toward it. Ask yourself to make the sensations you feel even worse. This sounds terrible, but it actually works like reverse psychology. You no longer become afraid of it.
-
- Engage. Get focused on what you have to do next. This will break you out of your anxiety loop.
The bottom line? We all experience anxiety, whether it’s a racing mind running through your to-dos as you’re trying to fall asleep, persistent worry about friends or family members, or the constant pressures of society telling us to do more, be more, achieve more. And while we can’t always control the factors that produce it, we can make choices around how we respond.
NOTE: Anxiety can manifest in all kinds of ways. For this article, we’re addressing the day-to-day anxiety we all face, but other types can be far more serious. If you’re concerned about your anxiety level, it’s important to seek help from an expert.
