Anxiety Relief Exercises
Those moments when anxiety and stress become a little too much can happen anywhere, anytime. Here are quick coping strategies that you can do in your car or at your desk whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Box Breathing
- Calm your mind and body in moments of stress by allowing more oxygen into your blood.
- Begin seated upright with feet flat on the floor. Slowly exhale, emptying your lungs completely.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four.
- Hold your breath for a count of four.
- Exhale through your mouth for a count of four, emptying your lungs.
- Hold your breath for a count of four, then repeat the process until you feel calmed.
5 4 3 2 1 Grounding Technique
Pull yourself out of a spiral of worry and anxiety by focusing on your senses and surroundings. Look around your environment and notice:
- 5 things you can see
steering wheel, keyboard, birds - 4 things you can feel
breeze, seatbelt, desk - 3 things you can hear
coworkers, wristwatch, music - 2 things you can smell
grass, soap, perfume - 1 thing you can taste
gum, water, coffee
Community Pool Etiquette
Who doesn’t love cooling off in your neighborhood pool? Make sure it’s an enjoyable experience for everyone by following these general etiquette rules.
- You’re likely not the only ones at the pool, so be mindful of others to make sure everyone is having fun. Avoid disturbing others with too much splashing, shouting, or disruptive games – no one likes a beach ball to the face. Always clean up after yourself and keep snacks, crumbs, and spills out of the pool.
- Not everyone shares your taste in Broadway musicals and disco, so keep the volume low or invest in some waterproof earbuds.
- It seems unnecessary to say, but it still happens – so we’ll say it anyway. Make sure your toddlers are equipped for community pools by wearing swim diapers, and everyone should use the available restrooms to avoid health and sanitation issues.
- If you or your kids have injuries or rashes, skip the pool! It’s all too easy to spread diseases, catch infections, and lose Band-Aids.
