Science-Backed Exercises to Manage Anxiety

Anxiety is a common experience that disrupts daily life by creating stress, tension, and physical discomfort. However, recent research suggests that anxiety can also be understood as a "perception gap"- a disconnect between how we perceive the world and how our brain and body respond to it. For the brain to respond better, it needs better input. We can change this input with targeted exercises including vision, vestibular, breathing, tongue, and movement exercises, to name a few, which can help close this gap by creating better input (quality and quantity) to the brain as well as the processing of information.

 These exercises will only aid depending on the severity of your anxiety. Please, always contact a healthcare professional to ensure a comprehensive approach.

Anxiety as a Perception Gap

Anxiety often arises from a mismatch between our brain's perception of a threat and the reality of the situation. This perception gap activates the brain's amygdala, triggering the "fight-or-flight" response even in non-threatening circumstances. The amygdala signals the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to prepare the body for danger, leading to increased heart rate, shallow breathing, and muscle tension.

In essence, anxiety is the brain's misinterpretation of external and internal stimuli. The perception gap is a disconnect between how the brain processes sensory information and the actual environment. For instance, a person may feel disoriented or unsteady due to a disruption in how their brain processes sensory inputs from the visual and vestibular systems, even when they are in a safe environment. Correcting this perception gap is key to managing anxiety, and this is where targeted exercises come into play.

The Role of Sensory Systems in Anxiety

The brain relies on inputs from sensory systems such as vision, vestibular (balance), and proprioception (body awareness) to maintain equilibrium. When these systems are out of sync, the brain struggles to make sense of the environment, contributing to feelings of anxiety, dizziness, or disorientation.

Additionally, the body's physical response to anxiety—such as tension in the jaw, irregular breathing, or muscle tightness—reinforces the perception gap. Targeted exercises that engage these systems help restore the brain’s ability to correctly process sensory information, thereby reducing anxiety.

Exercises

These exercises are good to start practicing first when anxiety is low. They may help during an anxiety attack but need to be practiced first.

Vision Exercises

• Vision Convergence Exercise (Pencil Push Up): Focus on a pen held at arm’s length, slowly moving it toward your nose. This enhances visual focus and reduces overstimulation of visual pathways.
• Peripheral Vision Exercise: Focus on a central point while expanding your peripheral vision awareness. This diffused focus helps calm the brain's sensory processing. Expanding peripheral vision activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps correct perception gaps linked to hyperarousal.
• Smooth Pursuit Eye Movement: Track a moving object with your eyes. This improves the brain's ability to process moving visual stimuli, reducing anxiety. Enhancing visual tracking promotes better integration of sensory inputs, reducing misperceptions that cause anxiety.

Vestibular Exercises

•  Vestibular Rocking Exercise: Gently rock forward and backward while sitting. This motion activates the vestibular system and helps relax to alleviate anxiety.
• Gaze Stabilization: Focus on a stationary object while moving your head slowly side to side. This improves coordination between the visual and vestibular systems.

Breathing Exercises

• Alternating Nostril Breathing: Close one nostril, inhale through the other, and switch and exhale through the other one. Repeat opposite. This breathing technique balances both hemispheres of the brain.
• Box Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold again for 4 seconds. This breathing technique regulates the nervous system and reduces stress.
• 4-7-8 Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale slowly for 8 seconds. This pattern promotes relaxation by calming the nervous system. This method increases heart rate variability, which enhances the brain’s ability to reprocess sensory data, closing the perception gap.
• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Breathe deeply into your belly and expand the rib lower rib cage, allowing your diaphragm to fully expand. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system.

Tongue and Jaw Exercises

• Tongue Posture Reset: Press the tongue against the roof of your mouth while breathing deeply. This relaxes tension in the jaw and face, alleviating anxiety.
• Tongue Around The World: Move your tongue in circles around the inside of your mouth. This releases tension in the tongue and jaw and activates cranial nerves.
• Jaw Release Exercise: Apply gentle pressure along your jawline while opening and closing your mouth. This releases tension linked to anxiety.

Movement and Coordination Exercises

• Cross-Body Coordination Movement: March in place, bringing the opposite elbow to the knee. This stimulates both hemispheres of the brain, reducing anxiety. 
• Grounding Movement Flow: Engage in slow, mindful movements like yoga’s cat-cow pose. This grounds the body and mind, reducing anxiety. 
• Heel-to-Toe Walking: Walk slowly in a straight line, placing one foot directly in front of the other. This engages balance and coordination.
• Neck Rolls: Gently roll your neck in slow, circular motions. This releases tension in the neck and shoulders, common areas for anxiety-related tension.

Anxiety is not just an emotional experience; it is often rooted in a perception gap—a disconnect between how the brain processes sensory information and the actual environment. Exercises can help close the perception gap by changing the input to the brain, the information processing in the brain, and activating the parasympathetic nervous system to calm oneself down. Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can reduce anxiety and promote a sense of calm and balance.

This blog is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Instead, it aims to provide an overview and present a new perspective.