Natural Ways to Reduce Anxiety: At Work

This article explains natural ways to reduce anxiety in just about any situation, but I would like to focus a bit on work situations, because work is where I face my greatest anxiety and I am certain that other people who face anxiety at work could also benefit from my experience and the information I share in this post.

My Personal Story with the Panic Away Program

The Panic Away  program by Barry McDonagh, has thus far made a profound difference in my life. Just the very awareness I have gained from reading the Panic Away ebook has shifted my perceptions and helped me to now have a calmer mental state. Before reading the Panic Away ebook and listening to the initial 10 minute rapid relief audio, I thought that the thoughts and fears that I was having were real.

The greatest anxiety I felt and still feel, is when when I am at work, but Panic Away has helped me to reduce the nervous sensations so significantly that I can now bare to go to work each day and not be so scared out of my mind that I am in flight mode all day long and feeling like I am about to lose my mind. I share Barry McDonagh’s sentiments that “if you experience panic attacks or general anxiety you probably feel like the ground has been pulled from beneath your feet. Your sense of security is shaken and day-to-day reality can feel a little strange.” This is exactly the way I would often feel at work, like everything is going wrong, that I can’t trust the people I work with and that something absolutely terrible is going to happen to me.

Can I calm my anxiety down?

On the night that I first sat down to read the Panic Away ebook in detail, I was feeling distraught. I felt that I wanted to leave my job but was trapped because I had no better alternative at the moment. I was crying my eyes out while reading the ebook. I then felt an immediate sense of calm when I saw where the book mentions that people with anxiety often feel trapped like there is no escape. The more I read was the greater clarity I felt in knowing how to approach the challenges I was facing at work. Since then I have been consistently applying some of the techniques recommended in the Panic Away program, and I share some of these with you below. These are techniques that you can use to calm down your anxiety.

The 21-7 Technique

The 21-7 technique, as explained by Barry McDonagh, consists of a 21 second countdown which stops panic attacks, and then the 7 minute exercise which reduces feelings of general anxiety.

In the 21 second countdown you basically dare your anxiety to bring its worse to you and you slowly count down from 21 to 0, while warning your anxiety that it has 21 seconds in which to do its worse or you will dismiss it because it is only wasting your time. The idea is that by the time you get to 0 in your countdown you will prove to yourself that no harm came to you as a result of the sensations that you are experiencing. As McDonagh explains, “the goal of this technique is not to try and stop the uncomfortable bodily sensations you feel, … but to stop your fearful reaction to the sensations. When you end the fear of fear you quickly end panic attacks.”

The 7 minute exercise

The 7 minute exercise is recommended to be done after the 21 second countdown or may be used as a standalone for general anxiety. This technique walks you through a breathing exercise where you focus on a heartlink, which is a pleasant, heart-warming memory. The exercise works because it is designed to trigger neural circuits that calm the heart, relax the gut and switch off the stress response. The 7 minute audio exercise is available once you access the Panic Away program. You may watch this video here for a full explanation of the program.

C.A.L.M. Recovery

C.A.L.M. recovery is recommended for the long term recovery process. The following is what it stands for:

Community support – having a community of people such as friends and family to discuss your issues with helps with the long term recovery process.

Acceptance – acceptance of the anxiety you experience places you back into your natural flow. It ends the mental conflict of wishing things were different. The wishing creates frustration and yearning for things to be different.

Lifestyle changes – Modifications to your diet will help, for example, caffeine and alcoholic beverages would make you more prone to anxiety. While introducing exercise, yoga, tai chi and other relaxation methods would be helpful. Adding supplements such as magnesium to your diet can also help reduce anxiety.

Meaning – how you regard your anxiety helps to trigger your reactions toward the bodily sensations that you feel. For example, if you keep feeling that you wish you didn’t have to feel the anxiety, then that increases the anxiety levels, but if you were to consider what can you learn from your anxiety, such as that it is helping you to build courage, then you will feel more comfortable with the sensations and eventually they would subside.

Learn more about Panic Away here: www.PanicAway.com

Cheers to your success,

Karlene Stewart

All material provided in these emails are for informational or educational purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.