Anxiety doesn’t see time or space before it attacks you. Although an anxiety attack may seem completely out of control, it can also feel embarrassing if you’re in a group of people – family or friends. However, the key to controlling it is to cool down by holding some ice cubes. These days, social media is full of claims that applying ice to the back of the neck can instantly relieve anxiety.

According to experts, touching ice or anything cold can be shocking to your system – it triggers several physiological changes that help you control stress.

How does applying ice help calm anxiety?

Mental health experts say applying ice to the back of your neck helps promote vagus nerve stimulation – which reduces your body’s fight or flight mechanism.

The vagus is the longest cranial nerve in your body.Extends from below the brain through the neck to the chest and abdomen. It forms a part of Nervous system Which controls non-voluntary functions like heart rate and digestion. It also helps your body to rest and recover.

And so, when your body is in fight or flight mode, touching the ice on the back of your neck stimulates the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system down the body and to the brain. Once activated, it begins to counter the fight-or-flight response. This stimulation creates a feedback loop in the body and brain that causes the heart rate to decrease – thereby reducing anxiety levels.

Other easy ways to reduce anxiety

Besides the ice method, some other ways to reduce your anxiety levels include:

to rinse

Gargling with water is one of the most effective and quick ways to stimulate the vagal nerve which actually prevents panic attacks. Since your vagus nerve passes through both the larynx and pharynx – as your vocal cords vibrate, sections of the vagus nerve become stimulated, effectively taking the body out of fight-or-flight mode.

Exercise

Exercise can calm anxiety in two ways: firstly it reduces stress levels within your body and secondly, it makes people focus on the act of exercise, and it can distract them from ruminative thoughts.

Doctors say that people who work out regularly see a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to those who do not.

practice diaphragmatic breathing

According to doctors, diaphragmatic breathing is a type of breathing technique that reduces cortisol levels in healthy adults. To help relieve anxiety, you can:

• Lie straight on your back with your knees bent and soles on the floor.
• Place one hand on the upper chest and the other on the abdomen, below the ribs.
• Breathe slowly and deeply through the nose.
• Exhale slowly through pursed lips, pulling the navel toward the floor.

listen to music

Music helps activate reward systems in the brain that increase feelings of pleasure and reduce stress and anxiety.

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