Anxiety feels like it doesn’t play by the rules. It’s like that loose cannon that does what it wants, when it wants and because it wants to. Anxiety thrives in the what ifs and the oh no's. It exists in the space between moments. Anxiety has us worried about what is to come and worried about all that has passed. Will this person like me? Did that person like me? Will something go wrong? Did I make a mistake? Anxiety can be a lot to handle. It can be tiring and create a sense of dread and panic. So how do we handle something that makes us anxious and feel as though life is out of control?
As we have discussed, anxiety doesn’t feel like it plays by the rules. So what if we spent time training our response to anxiety to have rules? One helpful rule is the 3-3-3 rule. This rule helps take you from that space between moments, into being aware of the moment you are in. So what is the 3-3-3 rule? Well it’s a strategy to combat anxiety and recenter yourself in the present moment.
Step one: Name three things that you hear: When anxiety takes hold, we can be quick to block out the world. The thoughts in our head get louder and louder, to the point where we may not notice the little things around us. By taking time to name the sounds we are hearing in the midst of an anxiety attack, we are taking back our power of attention. Anxiety creeps in and directs us where to point the spotlight but by focusing on the present moment of what we can hear, we can take back control of our attention and focus and thus we are the ones directing the spotlight. Anxiety may say “hey look at this scary thought over here” but we can remind ourselves of our power to shift our focus and change our thoughts by purposefully engaging with the present moment.
Step two: Move three parts of your body: This could be fingers, toes, arms, legs, anything that gets you moving. Anxiety can often present as bodily sensations such as tension. Scientifically speaking, energy can not be created nor destroyed, now scientists may not have originally had the human body in mind when studying the law of thermodynamics, but I believe that as beings in and of this world and universe, we are subject to its laws as well. Anxiety builds up tension and energy within that body and according to science, it has to go somewhere. By moving your body, you are giving that energy a different purpose.
Step three: Point out three things you see: Much like the step where we point out things that we hear, our visual surroundings can help remind us to be present in the moment. It’s almost like an anxiety relief sandwich. We engage with our surroundings in the beginning and at the end of the 3-3-3 rule, like the bread of the sandwich, and moving the body or finding ways to disperse the anxious energy is the meat or veggies. By ground yourself in the present moment, we take back control from anxiety and move from the what ifs and oh no’s to right now.
If you or a loved one struggle with anxiety, our team here at Niyyah understands that anxiety can be difficult to overcome and live with. Feel free to reach out to us, we are more than happy to help!