If you're reading this right now, there's a good chance that you've felt anxiety at some point in your life; just like love, fear, and realizing you want a pizza 20 minutes after the pizza place closes, feeling anxiety is one of those experiences that makes us human. If you're reading this right now, you've probably also felt totally helpless about trying to get a handle on your anxiety at some point. Though most of us experience a bit of anxiety when dealing with new, stressful, or uncertain situations, few of us know much about we can do to help ourselves — because most of us have never been taught any coping techniques to help us reduce anxiety.
Luckily, the newest episode of Bustle's Adulting series is here to help. Whether you're an anxiety-reducing novice, or someone who already has a dozen "soothing rainstorm" YouTube videos bookmarked, you stand to learn something from this video.
Of course, different techniques work for different people — there's no one-size-fits-all technique that reduces anxiety for all people, in all cases. And if you suffer from generalized anxiety disorder or another mental health disorder that involves anxiety (or just think that you might), this technique is no substitute for working with a professional. The tips outlined in this video may help you calm down if you're feeling nervous before, say, a big presentation, but it shouldn't be relied on if you're having a panic attack. If anxiety interferes with your ability to be happy or function in your day-to-day life, please talk to someone who can help.
But if you're just experiencing low-key anxiety when dealing with the duties and stresses of your daily life, give this technique a try. You don't need any special tools to practice it, and it's totally free, so what do you have to lose? You know, except that gnawing feeling in your stomach.
