My Battle with Anxiety and the 5-Minute Fix That Changed Everything
I was of the opinion that I was supposed to live with anxiety. When I was thinking too fast at 3 AM, my chest would tighten on my way to work, and my default mode was that of general dread. I tried ignoring it. I tried powering through. The thing with anxiety is though it subsists on your own energy that you apply in the struggle.
It happened when I was in a presentation at work and broke down. My heart was not beating rapidly, it was as of a bird in a cage knocking on my ribs. My hands shook so much that I was forced to place my notes on the table. I made it but I knew I was not going to white-knuckle my way through life. I required a tool not a mindset.
I was skeptical of yoga. I envisaged tricky postures and spiritual singing- things that were not close to me. But I was desperate. I began to research on the matter and what I discovered was not fluff on a feather but hard science. In a review of 13 studies in 2018, the researchers concluded that yoga positively impacts the reduction of anxiety symptoms significantly. A different study revealed that it was able to raise the levels of GABA in the brain which is a neurotransmitter that induces calmness. It was more than anecdotal, it was physiological.
I made a challenge to myself, then, five minutes. Only 5 minutes of yoga in the morning. I could not argue with five minutes. What followed was not only a morning-changer as far as I was concerned, but it was also a life-changer. This is what happened to me, and this is the no-fluff, no-frills strategy that I followed to get back to feeling calm.
The Issue: Why My Brain Was Caught in Overdrive.
I needed to be aware of the problem before I came up with the solution. But I was not only anxious in my imaginary sense. It was system failure in totality. My body would jump into the primitive mode of fighting or fleeing when I was stressed. The sympathetic nervous system would come in, and my system would be overwhelmed with cortisol, adrenaline.
The result?
My muscles contracted (Particularly in the neck and shoulders) in preparation of a physical danger which was not there.
My respiration was shallow and quick, in an attempt to supply more oxygen to muscles that were on the alert to run.
I got a spike in heart rate, which pushed the blood to my bodily parts rather than my digestive system or prefrontal cortex (the brain part that controls rational thought).
It is a brilliant way out of a saber-toothed tiger. It is a horrible routine to be stuck in traffic or be late to a meeting. I was in the rut that worry would cause a physical response and the physical experience would cause more worry. To break the cycle physically, in order to make my nervous system think the tiger had passed, I required something.
The Remedy: How Yoga is a System Revitalizer.
Yoga is effective in that it tackles the issue at its source, the body. It is a direct mail to your nervous system. It is not to become flexible, or spiritual; it is to get the parasympathetic nervous system, the rest-and-digest, opposed to the fight-or-flight system.
The following is how it happened to me:
It Makes You Breath Consciously: When you are anxious, you chest-breathe. Yoga requires deep breathing which is diaphragmatic. This kind of breath activates the vagus nerve that is similar to the key control switch of slowing down your body. It literally fills your heart with a slow your roll.
It Relaxes Physical Tension: A stretch of the arms signals to muscles that are thrown in spasm that it is time to relax. It is a physical indicator of security.
It Bases You in the Now: Anxiety is nearly always futuristic: It is worrying about what could happen. When I am attentive to the sensation of my feet on the mat and how my breath flows, I do not have psychological room to make catastrophic forecasts. I’m anchored in the now.
My 5-Minute Morning Yoga Routine to Reduce Anxiety (No Experience Required).
This is the very order that I began with. I do it when I first wake up in the morning, I do not check my phone, I do it in my pajamas. All one has to do is to find a quiet place and a floor.
Minute 0-1: Centering Breath (Box Breathing)
I do not go even in the first minute. I stand or sit in a comfortable position and do box breathing.
I breathe in gradually with the assistance of my nose count to 4.
I hold my breath for a count of 4.
I breathe in and out, slow through my nose, 4 times.
My exhale is counted 4 times.
I repeat this for one minute. This in itself lowers my heart rate. It is equivalent to putting the lock button on the hustle of the day before the day begins.
Minute 1-2: Mountain Pose (Tadasana) Breath Awareness.
This appears to be simply standing but it is a strong position to seek stability.
I support my feet positioning them at a hip-width and rooting down through the four corners of my feet.
I bring myself softly using my thighs, stretch my knees and make my tailbone extend to the floor.
I make the motions of rolling my shoulders backward and down, and I touch the top of my head against the ceiling.
I shut my eyes and breathe here 5 long pulls and feel the hard unshaken power of the earth under my feet. I am a mountain; wind can blow on me and I will not blow.
Minute 2-3: Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
This is the pose that will be a breakthrough in calming the nervous system.
I inhale in Mountain Pose and release and hinge at the hips, being folded forward. My knees are bent tenderly–no stiffening!
I let my head hang heavy. I am able to hold opposite elbows and swing side to side.
I focus on the inversion. My blood is pumped to my brain, and as my head is hanging, my body knows that this is the safe place to give up. I take 5 deep breaths here.
Minute 3-4: Child’s Pose (Balasana)
It is the final attitude of submission of security.
I sink to my hands and knees, and lean my hips back on to my heels.
I cross myself, lean my forehead on the floor (or a pillow, which is more pleasant). I can either have my arms stretched forward or they are lying at my side.
I shut the eyes and inhaled to my back, where I could make it rise and fall with each breath. To one complete minute can I afford to be small, and upheld, and safe. It’s a profound reset.
Minute 4-5: Legs-Up-The-Wall (Viparita Karani).
This is my secret weapon. It is immensely refreshing and it needs virtually no effort.
I sit sideways next to a wall. The next thing I do is to lie on the floor, swing my legs up the wall in one motion. As much as is comfortable, my sit-bones must be within a wall.
My arms are bent up at my sides. I close my eyes.
One minute I remain here, taking breaths. This position is proven to be a calming effect of the nervous system. It decreases the level of cortisol and induces a feeling of high levels of relaxation. It is the best way to put an end to the practice and move on to my day.
Yoga and Anxiety and Depression. The Facts from My Journey
This was my biggest question. I needed proof. My personal experience as well as research allowed me to discover that, yes, it does, and the following are the reasons why it is not placebo.
It is a Moving Meditation: Depression is a state that is usually accompanied by rumination i.e. getting caught in the loops of negative thoughts. The physical yoga makes me forget about my thoughts and my head and focuses on my body. It is a relief of the noise in the mind.
It Controls the Stress Response: As I have said, the science is obvious. In a study by the Journal of American Medicine published in 2020, it was determined that mindfulness-based stress reduction (including yoga) was equally effective as a regular antidepressant drug in some individuals. Yoga lets your body treat the stresses with a better attitude, thus the levels of anxiety are lower.
It Fosters Self-Efficacy: I am consciously deciding to take care of myself each time I roll out my mat. Such a simple self-care practice develops a sense of agency. I have not been a victim of my anxiety; I am actively coping with it. This change of attitude is strong enough to fight the helplessness of depression.
In my case, yoga did not cure my anxiety. It gave me a tool. During a bad day, I am aware that I have a five-minutes practice which can remove the edge. The knowing of that alone lowers the power that anxiety has on me.
Making It Stick: The One-Habit System that Helps Me Stick.
The most effective routine is the one that you will perform. This is how I managed to make this stick and not one more source of stress.
I used it as an addition to a habit. I make my five minutes immediately after brushing my teeth. The stimulus is already in my day.
I started stupidly small. Five minutes is an uncompromising, unbending amount of time. On days when I feel good, I may have ten. But when it comes to it, the commitment is five.
I focused on feeling, not form. I did not concern myself with the ideal poses. All I did was to match my breath with my movement. Was I breathing deeper? Did I feel calmer? This is what I considered a success.
I tracked it. I marked in the huge “X” on my calendar on all the days I did it. The chain building was a visual reward and this would encourage me to continue.
FAQs: The Frequently Asked Questions When I First Started.
Q: I’m not flexible at all. Can I still do this?
A: This was my biggest hurdle. I couldn’t touch my toes. Yoga is not a matter of flexibility, but rather it is a matter of creating some space in your body and mind. The postures I used are interchangeable (friends with bent knees!). It is all about the purpose, not the excellence.
Q: What do I do in case I do not have five minutes?
A: Then do one minute. Seriously. It is better than nothing to have 60 seconds of concentrated box breathing in your car before you get to the office. It is the uniformity that is most important.
Q: What is the time frame before I begin to feel the results?
A: The initial session resulted in a slight change in me, namely, a slight reduction in the chatter in my mind. The actual, permanent change accumulated during three weeks of regular practice. The more I did it the more the body got used to the experience of calm and was able to reach it more readily.
Q: Can it be used to substitute therapy or medication?
A: No. I am not a doctor. In my case, yoga is the necessary tool in my mental health kit, although it is not the only one. In case of severe anxiety or depression, seek professional assistance. Yoga may be a strong complementary practice.
The Bottom Line:
You cann make a Difference in Your State.
I still have anxious moments. I’m human. However, now, I do not feel controlled by them. My system is simple and can be used at any location, and it takes me five minutes to hit the reset button. The practice helped me regain a feeling of control that I had about my own well-being.
My dare to thee is as follows: attempt it in the course of a week. Only five minutes in the morning. Don’t overthink it. Don’t judge it. Only appear upon the mat and breathe. There is nothing to lose except that which is your anxiety.
Unroll your mat. Take a deep breath. And prove your worry that I am.