I’m a psychiatrist – here are 4 easy ways to manage anxiety

Don’t let these anti-anxiety tips slip through your mind.

Dr. Daniel Amen, a double-board certified psychiatrist and neuroimaging researcher in California, shares four solutions for managing the mind and reducing anxiety.

Speaking to his 2.8 million TikTok followers last week, Amen revealed some shocking statistics about anxiety, “It’s common – double in children, triple in adults. “

Stress and anxiety can affect the entire body, causing inflammation, pain, restlessness and gastrointestinal problems. Kindly, reducing stress and anxiety, as often and in as many ways as possible, is important for improving overall health.

Amen explained how doomsday thinking creates feverish emotions, “Many people who worry, have a bad thought, and then they make it worse, and they make that thought worse. It’s like your mind is out of control.”

He said that gaining control requires mental strength training. “You have to control your mind, and there is exercise. Healthy people do physical exercise every day, you have to exercise mentally,” he explained.

On TikTok, which has attracted more than 36,000 views, Amen promotes diaphragmatic breathing, relaxing music, hypnosis and naming your brain.

Diaphragmatic breathing

Amen said he’s a fan of diaphragmatic breathing, like taking twice as long to inhale as you exhale. “I teach my patients four seconds, hold it for just one second, eight seconds,” he explained.

He calls this method “very useful” – and he is not the only one who supports this breathing technique.

Studies have shown that deep, slow breathing sends more oxygen to the brain, which helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which creates a calm state. This breathing technique is also good for preparing the body for sleep.

Relaxing music

People with anxiety should listen to soothing music to calm their minds, Amen said.

The benefits of music may go far beyond temporary relief.

Researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK have found that people who “get into music” throughout their lives tend to improve memory and overall brain health as they age.

Hypnosis

Amen also touts hypnosis as a tool that can support stress relief and reduce anxiety.

NYC hypnotherapist Elena Mosaner explained how hypnosis works and why it works: “What we do is use relaxation techniques,” so that patients “go into a state of mind.” of a refreshed mind, [and their] The subconscious is open to suggestions.

“Our mind is the mind we use when we’re awake,” he told The Post. “Your unconscious mind is a deep part of who you are and contains information such as your beliefs, habits and behaviors – in fact, your worldview.”

Name your brain

Give your brain a name and Amen guarantees that dissonance will quiet your mind. “We teach people how to find mental space and noise in their heads by naming their thoughts,” he said.

Steven Hayes, author of “A Liberated Mind,” also encourages people with anxiety to name their brain and introduce themselves to them as they would a stranger at a party.

Hayes explained that naming the mind creates a fine separation between thought and belief. “When you listen to someone, you can choose to agree with what they say or not. … That’s the position you want to take with your inner voice. “