Strategies/Resources /Articles
Anxiety Relief
Front line for dealing with anxiety. Our body is following internal signals to panic. So let's try to reverse those.
Breathe. Slow, deep breathes out of your mouth and in through your nose. Lay your hand on your belly and watch it swell up with air and slowly deflate and repeat. This is meditative. It's rhythmic. We are telling our body to calm down, we have the situation under control. Here's how Canada does it.
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Here is what's happening in our body.
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Another front line coping strategy for anxiety targets the dissociative aspect of anxiety. When we get anxious, we leave our present reality and imagine a later situation. One good skill to develop is grounding.
These activities engage the senses and help us take in our present reality.
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Cold water. Water makes us feel good.
Might I also suggest music?
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Depression Relief
With depressive episodes, we need to target activity or what's known as behavioral activation. Here's a good list of activities you can try, although you are more than welcome to create your own list of activities that make you feel good.
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Equally important is connecting with other people. I cannot emphasize this enough! Our relationships and interactions greatly influence our mood and depression.