Walk Yourself Right Out of Anxiety

Have you ever wake up feeling anxious?

From the first moment you open your eyes, you sense that something’s not right. You may not know why you are anxious or what it’s about. You’re just afloat with unwelcome angst.

Your Lizard Brain’s on high alert even though there’s no specific threat.

You can probably tell that I’m describing my state of mind today.

You may wake up feeling anxious some days too.

Here’s my strategy for getting rid of the unwelcome adrenaline.

Walk. Don’t Run. Just Walk.

I’ve found that walking, either with a friend or by myself, works wonders. Just walk at a good steady pace so your brain can wrestle with whatever’s going on inside.

Pick a pace you can maintain without getting winded. It’ll free you up to have conversations with yourself. And that’s where the sorting takes place.

As a tried and true extrovert, I’ve gotta talk about things to figure them out. In fact, I’m often not sure of what I think until I can express it verbally.

Walking provides a great, steady backdrop for talking–either to yourself or to a walking partner.

And by the time you’ve walked and talked for a while, you’ll start to understand what’s on your mind. And what’s on your mind may not seem so troubling any more.

I took a good long walk this morning. I start off a bundle of nerves and a few miles later, I came back feeling better. Whew. 🙂

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Walk Off Your Anxiety

The next time you wake up anxious, put on your most comfortable shoes and good socks (I use the double layer kind) and head out the door. Walk just fast enough to be serious about it but slow enough so you’re not getting winded. Let your mind roam and ramble and when it gets quieter you’ll feel better.

What strategies do you use for doing away with free floating anxiety? Share them in the comments below?