Anxiety & Depression Toolbox

Controlled Breathing:

Controlled breathing will help to calm the fight/flight freeze response in your lower brain by providing oxygen to your lungs and brain. Your rational brain will get back online after controlled breathing. Directions: Breathe gently in through your nose in a slow rhythm or pace. Hold for about 2 seconds. Gently push the air out of your mouth with pursed lips. Pause. Repeat. Notice your slow breathing, the rising of your chest with inhales and the lowering of your shoulders as you exhale.

Grounding and Redirecting Focus:

Play I Spy and begin to notice things that are different shapes, colors, or textures. Go through your 5 senses to notice or gain awareness with something you (see, smell, taste, hear and touch). With each sense notice it and add an adjective to the sense.

Apps:

There are numerous apps to help with anxiety and many of them are free. These apps will guide you to breathe correctly, help to calm and meditate, or allow you to practice positive thought replacements.

SAM App for Anxiety. It will help you manage and understand your anxiety. You can plot your worry thoughts to study your patterns. Rating your anxiety and keeping track will help you and your therapist gain insight. You create your anxiety toolkit that suits you.

CALM App to guide your breathing and it offers soothing, relaxing meditation sounds.

PANIC RELIEF App for Panic Attacks. It is helpful to use during an attack.

RELAX M.S.P. App will provide you with the sounds that help you relax and calm. You can import your own sounds or use the many provided sounds. You can mix sounds too.

Energy Tapping:

Tapping on certain acupressure points is called Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT. Check out this video on the points to tap.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eihUt_CXxic

EMDR: has been researched and shown to be an effective treatment for PTSD and Anxiety. For more information look on my site under services, EMDR.