Welcome to the “Befriending Anxiety” free taster course (the full version is available here). “What we resist, persists” – what if instead of fighting anxiety, we work to accept and “befriend” it – perhaps we can learn something from the experience and treat it as a guide? I like to think of self-care and working with (rather than against) anxiety as stocking up a sturdy shed with tools. While we don’t know which tool will come in handy when, we can be prepared by familiarising ourselves with their use, keeping them in good condition and practicing using them regularly so they don’t rust.

This mini-course introduces three simple tried-and-tested selection “tools” combining movement, breathwork and focus approaches that can be done to calm down, bring you into the moment and recalibrate. The interventions on the full version of the course bring together my research on performance anxiety with approaches influenced by yoga, Qi Gong and different meditation traditions.

I encourage you to try all of these tools and see which ones suit you best. Experiment with doing them on a regular basis so that it becomes easier to access the interventions that work for you in times of need, bringing a sense of “normalcy” to a difficult situation. Continue building up your own tool shed. Perhaps working with rather than against your anxiety using short and manageable interventions can bring a new and interesting understanding.

As with any exercise or breath work, please check with your healthcare provider if you have existing issues that may be affected and remember to take responsibility and listen to your body. Please stop if something doesn’t feel right and sit it out, then perhaps try a different exercise. Feel free to modify the standing sequences, which can also be done sitting down.

To begin, establish a “safe space” to practice. Switch off unnecessary devices and notifications and make sure that you will not be disturbed. Check that you have a level and non-slip surface available to you with at least a metre of space on either side and no sharp or breakable objects around you.

To register for the full course featuring 7 themed modules combining 20 short interventions, bonus material and email support, please click here.

Module 1:

Revision of our “anxiety mechanisms”: these are the two branches of our autonomic nervous system, the Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic.

Sympathetic – this is the “fight or flight” survival mechanism that subverts energy for immediate action. We experience rapid and shallow chest breathing, increased heart rate, an increase in blood pressure and slowing down in “non-essential” functions such as digestion and reproduction. There are many common symptoms, which may include dry mouth, shaky hands, sweating, feeling queasy and light-headed. Continued long-term activation of “fight or flight” without adequate relaxation is detrimental and has serious adverse effects on our health. Reflect: what are your “fight or flight” symptoms?

Parasympathetic – this is our “rest and digest” relaxation response, which can be elicited in a number of ways including breathwork, meditation and slow and repetitive movement or activity including swimming, walking, knitting… It slows down breathing, decreases blood pressure, allows diverted blood to flow back to digestive and reproductive organs. We need to ensure we activate the parasympathetic response on a daily basis in our high-pressure lives. Reflect: what are some of the tools you already have at your disposal that can elicit your relaxation response?

Movement: when we feel anxious, it can be beneficial to “bypass” the mind by moving our bodies instead of trying to analyse or reason with what’s happening. There is no need to implement a long or complex routine, just moving for a few minutes – or even thirty seconds – can be enough. Is your mind racing, getting caught up in worry loops? Take your attention out of these neural pathways and into the physical sensation of your body through movement. Try these simple movements inspired by Qigong (ancient Chinese practice). You can do short movement sequences on work breaks, first thing in the morning or whenever you need to shift your attention and focus and come back to the body.

Breath: breathwork is proven to be particularly beneficial for anxiety management.

Stress is intimately connected to the breath, with our breathing rate increasing when we experience sympathetic nervous system activation. This is meant for emergency situations, followed by return to homeostasis. Simply “taking a deep breath” is not necessarily good advice, as over-breathing can in fact activate / exacerbate our “fight-or-flight” response.

On the other hand, slow conscious breathing can be helpful in eliciting the parasympathetic response. Over time, this can help override the habits of stress. Breathing through the nose is particularly important in order to balance the autonomic nervous system. Mouth breathing can activate shallow chest breathing by default, which as we know is associated with the sympathetic nervous system response. Nose breathing helps with more natural abdominal breathing, associated with the parasympathetic relaxation response. Try this simple nose breathing exercise to balance the two branches of the autonomic nervous system. The beauty of it is that it is so subtle, nobody needs to know you are doing it – it can be done at any time and anywhere, and become your “secret weapon” against anxiety (remember, slower breathing does not necessarily mean taking bigger breaths – be careful not to over-breathe and stop if you feel dizzy or light-headed). Reflect: do you notice any effects on how you feel after doing this exercise?

Focus: throughout this course, I will be introducing several “focus” exercises that can be used to help you find a calm space. While some of them are influenced by meditation practices, they come from a range of sources and traditions and all are secular. Consider implementing the ones that speak to you on a regular basis, such as first thing in the morning. You can then access these exercises at will when you need them, for example before or during a difficult situation, or whenever you start feeling anxious and need to step back for a moment to a sense of safety.

Try this settling and grounding exercise, another “secret weapon” which is also very subtle and can be helpful if done even for a few seconds. I employ this technique every time I sit down to before starting to play the piano on my own as well as on stage in front of an audience.

To continue with Modules 2 – 7 of the course, please click here.

Copyright 2022 Xenia Pestova Bennett