Antidotes to anxiety offered
USA Today
Stress experts offer a range of activities and relaxation techniques to help unwind.
"An avalanche of research reveals that aerobic exercise promotes health and energy" and is an antidote for anxiety, says David G. Myers, a social psychologist with Hope College in Holland, Mich.
Herbert Benson, an associate professor of medicine with Harvard Medical School, pioneered the "relaxation response" in the 1970s. It focuses on muscle relaxation and 10 to 20 minutes of controlled breathing. A word or phrase is repeated silently when exhaling to keep the mind from wandering.
Jonathan Davidson of Duke University Medical Center, co-author of "The Anxiety Book: Developing Strength in the Face of Fear," discusses what he calls "serenity techniques." They include:
Visualization. "Imagining yourself taking a hot bath, strolling a beach, or sitting in a quiet meadow can markedly shift both your mind state and physiology toward stillness," he says.
Progressive muscle relaxation. This technique achieves "deep relaxation by gradually tensing and then releasing muscle groups throughout the body: eyes, jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, back, chest, abdomen, pelvis, buttocks, legs and feet." Take a slow, deep breath when allowing the muscles to relax.
Spiritual growth and prayer. They could include religious services, joining a spiritual community, regular prayer or a deeper commitment to a spiritual life.
