You heal anxiety with your heart not your head
If you know much about my work, you will know that I teach how acceptance, compassion, playfulness are qualities that heal anxiety.
Have you noticed that these all are qualities traditionally associated with the heart. The reality is that:
You heal anxiety with your heart not your head.
Your mind can help you manage anxiety quite well. Through the sheer mental effort of changing thought patterns or employing distraction techniques, anxiety can be kept under control but not truly healed. When it comes to long-term recovery that is where your heart plays a vital role.
I am not just speaking metaphorically when I talk about the heart healing anxiety. I mean it on a physical/neurological level too.
The heart is so much more than just a blood pump. There is a complex neurological system of communication between the heart and the head where information is been sent back and forth all the time.
Most people are not aware that in 1983, the heart was reclassified as a hormonal gland. The heart produces several important hormones several of which are responsible for reducing the stress response. One of those hormones is called atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and its job is to reduce the release of the stress hormone cortisol.
Another hormone called oxytocin, commonly referred to as the “love” hormone” is also a powerful stress relieving hormone. When we hug or kiss a loved one, oxytocin levels go up. Moments of empathy and compassion stimulate the release of the hormone, bringing about an anti-stress response.
By adopting an attitude of compassionate acceptance towards your anxiety you trigger the secretion of these stress reducing hormones. This helps cools the stress response and enables your nervous system to relax.
When highly anxious, the anxious part of your brain is trapped in an anxiety loop of fear feeding more fear.
When you adopt attitude of complete acceptance, control is shifted back to the rational part of your brain and the anxiety loop is broken (even if its just for a few short minutes).
A bit like a tuning fork, acceptance, compassion, playfulness (qualities of the heart) help synchronize the mind and body together. With that synchronization comes a greater peace of mind.
I want to now share a simple but powerful exercise to amplify the healing power of your heart:
Heart Exercise
1. Start by taking some deep belly breaths.
Belly breaths are ones that lift your stomach instead of your chest.
Think if like you are breathing into down into your legs. Breathe in
until you feel full and hold it for a few seconds and then breathe out
slowly.
2. As you are breathing in, I want you to imagine a warm smile
forming across your chest. It is a big warm smile that spreads up to
onto the lips on your face as you breathe in fully.
3. Hold for a few seconds and then as you breathe out I want you to
have complete acceptance for any anxious sensation that you feel.
So for example you might think:
In breath: Smile (imagined and on your chest spreading up to your face)
Out breath: I accept and allow the anxious feeling in my stomach.
Or
In breath: Smile
Out breath: I accept and allow this anxious feeling in my chest.
In breath: Smile
Out breath: I accept and allow the anxious thoughts in my mind.
4. As you do this exercise, become aware of the connection between your
head and your chest area. Imagine both areas are connected together by a chord.
You are going to continue the exercise for a minimum of five minutes. Anything shorter than five minutes will not get the desired stress reducing effect. (Of course please keep going with it for longer if you wish).
I know it’s really hard to smile when anxious but please try it for just 5 minutes and see how you feel.
The purpose of this exercise is to trigger a release of stress reducing hormones and create a better synchronization between your head and your heart.
The really great thing is that you can trigger the benefits of this Heart Exercise any time during the day, simply by smiling with your lips.
One smile will trigger the memory of the exercise and move you into a heart alignment in an instant.
Then anytime you are going about your day and feel a flash of anxiety, notice the anxiety and immediately smile.
Feel the smile on both your lips (and your chest). That will then trigger a calming response instead of an escalation of anxiety.
So if you think of nothing else
smile 😉
florian cariazo
Mr.Barry i want you to know that what you are sending to me is very very helpful and it encourage me as iam having difficult time coping with my panic attack as i age.what you teach gives me hope and iam very grateful.whenever i am having panic attack i do what you teach.iam not healed yet but i know i will be someday thru your guidance thank you very much
florian cariazo
thank you very much for all of your blog that you send to me.it helps me alot and i want you to know that i appreciate it and very grateful.what you teach is true.i hope that all who suffer panic attack like me can cope with their anxiety thru you and your blog.May God gives you great health so you can help more people.i tried your technique and very helpful.thank you very much
Idowu Sarah Olubunmi
Thanks for the heart remedy to the panic attach or anxiety u send to my mail. It works perfectly.
It is good method to fight the symptoms of anxiety disorder. I used it and it worked for me.
Denise
Hi Barry,
I have came along way with my anxiety since using your program, I love receiving updates and tips to add to the already great help. The only issue I have now is driving, but I’m sure I will overcome this with your support. Thanks
Jeetendra Mehra
Dear Barry,
Your such a great help and a clear heart winner ! …bless you for this and for PANIC AWAY !!…shall be trying this exercise out ASAP…and even before doing it …I have a SMILE on me that is the face and the heart…because your’re with me / Us…
God bless you my friend
🙂
Alvin
Thank you so much for you caring for those who have anxiety. You are so sweet to share this kind of stuff to us free. I do believe it would help me. I will start doing it as soon as possible. May God bless you abundantly.
Sue
Thank you for all the free info you send. In a world where everything seems to revolve around profit there are still some good people
ufomadu ugochi
Thank you very much,I am very much grateful and wish to received more.May God give more knowledge to help people suffering from this anxiety disorder.Like I said before, thank you.
Jane
This is brilliant Barry! Thank you. I actually laughed involuntarily when I read the smile and accept statement. It was like it came from my body and was quite delightful. I LOVE your e-mails and encouragement. Thank you so much, you must be making an extraordinary difference in the world. Wow!
Dorothy Turitto
Thanks for your helpful hints. I have not been able to use antidepressant medication because of the side effects. I would like to hear something about pain and discomfort problems which are chronic. How does one deal with them when they make you very tired and make it hard to cope. Thank you.
emma velayo
Mr. Barry thank you so much for your helpful tips. I wish to receive more helpful tips to combat my GAD. More power to you and thank you so much.
Sean
Hi Barry,
many thanks for all your help and support, your tips and techniques are great and all help, Please carry on the great work, you are helping a lot of people….
amman
wow, a change is there in my feeling , really you are marvellous.
Nancy Carter
Thank you so much for your Panic Away program and ongoing helpful messages. A couple of years ago I woke up many nights feeling as though my heart was trying to break out of my chest; I was light headed, weak, etc. I visited the emergency room a couple of times, had several heart tests, and wore a monitor around my neck for a week trying to find out what was wrong. Then I saw a short TV presentation about anxiety/panic attacks in the middle of one of my scary nights. Once I realized that must be my problem, I got your program. It was VERY helpful.
IBRAHIM
Thank you very much,I am very much grateful and wish to received more hints and tips.May God give more knowledge to help people suffering from this anxiety disorder.
best regards,
IBRAHIM
Thank you so much for you caring for those who have anxiety. please keep provide me with these tips and hints.
thanks a lot,
Mary Ann
Hi Mr bary, thank you very much for the free advice email for the people like us who suffer panic attacks and anxiety that cannot afford to pay for counselling. Thank you give me a courage to fight for it. This email help me another. God bless you.
Nelly
Dear Barry,
I have not yet purchased your program, surely I will if I ever feel the need for it. However, I enjoy and benefit greatly from the information I receive in your emails. Thank you for your many efforts to help cope and deal with anxiety better. You truly have made a positive impact on my life in times of difficulties. The info and the techniques are useful and they genuinely work if practised. Great work indeed! Nelly
Alex
Your e-mails and blog updates really help me during my worst times. Thank you for what you do.
Roxan Rose
Barry, I so appreciate your emails and yes they help. I still have anxiety but they do put me a lil more at ease. I also have to deal with driving and trying to go back to work????? BREATH, BREATH BREATH! THANK YOU!
Van Johnson
Many thanks youre updates and e-mails have help me for past few years. youre programs really do work. Thanks again