Acupuncture is a powerful tool for those suffering with anxiety. But what if you don’t have time to see your acupuncturist? Fear not, there are self-care tips that you can use at home to ease your suffering and calm your mind when you are in an anxious state.
To begin, sit in a quiet place, and take three deep breaths. Now, look at the underside of your wrists. Do you see where your wrist crease is? Two fingers down from that crease, between the tendons, is a potent point for anxiety. This point is called Pericardium 6.
Feel around the area that is two fingers down from the crease until you hit a spot that feels tender. Now, use the thumb of your other hand to press firmly on this spot. Don’t press hard enough to induce pain, but do make sure that you are feeling some sensation and not just resting your thumb there.
This point calms the mind, and it is wonderful for the physical symptoms of anxiety. It is commonly used for nausea, which is why many pregnant women are familiar with using it for morning sickness. It will soothe your stomach, and open your chest to help you breathe more deeply and easily. Shallow breathing with anxiety is a vicious cycle; the anxiety tightens your chest, which makes it harder to breathe; this in turn tells your brain, “I’m scared, I feel like I can’t breathe!” which induces a sense of panic that makes it harder to breathe, and the cycle continues. Utilizing a point to open your chest and allow for deeper breaths can help to break that cycle and shift you out of that state.
One thing that is important to think about when you are spiraling up into an anxious state is the idea of “grounding.” Think about the physical reactions that take place in your body when you are highly stressed. You might grind your teeth or clench your jaw; you will likely find your shoulders rising up toward your ears. Your mind races. You may get a headache, or find that your blood pressure is elevated. Your neck will very often get tight.
All of these signs of stress have one thing in common: the energy in your body is rising upward. It’s in your head, neck, shoulders, jaw, chest.
The goal is to get that energy to sink back down, creating balance. This is what the idea of grounding is all about.
Take off your shoes, and slide your finger between your first and second toe. Keep sliding your finger back until you feel the junction where the bones meet.
This point is called Liver 3.
This is a very important point in the world of acupuncture. It is used for headaches, anger, stress, PMS, TMJ…the list goes on and on. It is extremely grounding; it helps to release stuck energy in the body, move it downward, and anchor it so that it does not rise up to cause many of the symptoms listed above.
Press on this point firmly as you continue to take deep breaths. Often, you will notice a sensation of your shoulders softening and sinking as you do so.
Congratulations, you’ve just given yourself your first acupressure treatment!
