Stories
Tips to Alleviate Anxiety
Wed 20 Oct 2021
Anxiety is a common experience for all of us, whether it stems from a specific situation, such as going to school or a job interview, or is something more ephemeral. It is your body’s natural response to stress.
Monique, from Beautiful Minds, spoke with us on Saturday 9 October at the
HFA conference about anxiety, and how we can overcome it. Below are her top tips for alleviating anxiety.
The Body Thump Technique
- Stand up
- Place one palm out
- Form a fist with your hand
- Gently thump your fist up and around your body
Face Tapping
- Spot pressure with your fingerprints along your face
- Lightly tap with your fingers
Breathing
- Inhale through your nose
- Exhale through your mouth, with your lips pinched like they’re holding a straw
STOP Strategy
- S – STOP
- T – Take long, slow breaths out
- O – Observe your surroundings
- P – Proceed
54321 Activity
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can feel
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
Ice Technique
Simply hold some ice in your hand. This:
- Lowers your temperature
- Stops the adrenaline
- Hones your focus – it’s the only thing you can feel
Colour Walk
- Go for a 10 minute walk around your block and count how many different colours you see
Write and Rip
- Write down your fears and then rip them up. This gets them out of your head and onto paper.
The Calm Palm
- Hold one hand up
- With your other hand, use your pointer finger to trace your hand
This information is a small part of the session that was presented at the 20
th Australian Conference on Haemophilia, VWD and Rare Bleeding Disorders. You can watch the entire session on-demand on the conference portal, in the
Youth – challenges, taboos and myths session originally held at 1:25pm on Saturday 9 October. (Please note, this session is only accessible to people who have registered for the conference.
You can register here.)
Beautiful Minds also assisted us during the conference with a three-part workshop focused on mental health and wellbeing. The workshop was free to all young people aged 10-30, run by HFA with the support of an education grant provided by CSL Behring.
If you are concerned about your anxiety, please reach out to a loved one. Alternatively you can contact
Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or
KidsHelpLine on 1800 55 1800.
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