Last Sunday’s forum featured Fidgety Fairy Tales Theater Troupe’s performance about anxiety and mental health. Below are additional skills that the Mental Health Ministry would like to share that may help in dealing with anxiety:
To help decrease our anxiety, help us make better decisions, and process information more rationally, we first need to change our body’s response to anxiety/panic. If you feel anxiety that is increasing in frequency and its intensity is hurting your ability to function, there are practices that may help you. Called TIPP (Temperature, Intense, Paced, Progressive) skills, they change our body chemistry and activate our state of calm and rest.
Temperature/Activate the Dive Response
Body chemistry (heart rate specifically) changes when we dive underwater. Caution: Cold water decreases heart rate; consult with a physician if you have pre-existing medical concerns before using this skill and never put ice directly on your face.
To activate this response:
- Put your face in a bowl of cold water or put a zip-lock bag with cold water over your eyes and upper cheeks.
2. Close your eyes and hold your breath for 20-30 seconds while your face is in the water/water on your face.
- Take a few deep breaths after 20-30 seconds of holding your breath.
- Repeat as needed; we recommend following this with a relaxing/soothing activity.
Intense Exercise
“Wear out” your sympathetic nervous system response by expelling that energy with exercise.
Caution: Intense exercise increases heart rate; consult with a physician if you have pre-existing medical concerns before using this skill.
- Generally, it takes about 20 minutes of exercise (running, jumping jacks, weightlifting, etc.).
- Exercise also increases endorphins, which trigger positive feelings in the body.
Paced Breathing
Slowing your breathing down to approximately six breaths per minute.
Caution: Listen to your body. Find a count that works for you. Some common techniques include 4-4-8 breathing (inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, and exhale for a count of 8 while imagining making a square with your breath) or 5-7-8 breathing (inhale for a count of 5, hold for a count of 7, exhale for a count of 8).
- Be sure to breathe into your “belly” (diaphragm), not your chest.
- Be sure your exhale is longer than your inhale.
- Can be helpful to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, making a “whoosh” sound with the exhale.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Intentionally tensing and releasing tension from muscle groups to experience relaxation.
- While breathing in, tense muscles.
- While breathing out, release the tension.
- Notice the difference in your body.
If you or a loved one are in need of mental health assistance, please reach out to our Parish Nurse Jill Stewart at nurse@gloriadeistpaul.org or one of the pastors.