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Anxiety

Learning relaxation skills can help overcome anxiety.

Most of us are familiar with anxiety and stress. Who wouldn’t feel nervous after getting a letter from the Internal Revenue Service requesting an audit of last year’s tax return? Or imagine yourself driving on a lonely road late at night, developing a flat tire, and realizing that your jack is broken. Even self-confident people frequently discover that giving a speech or performing in front of a large audience can make the heart start to pound, put butterflies in the gut, and the turn hands to ice.

People deal with stress differently. Some find that talking out their problems is the best medicine. For them, having a shoulder to cry on can be very helpful.

Others have a hard time revealing their feelings and fears. Men, in particular, may worry that disclosing anxieties could be perceived as a sign of weakness. They may prefer to exercise–the wood chopping technique of tension reduction. It’s hard to remain uptight after a long swim, a hard run or a vigorous workout.

Imagine yourself in a traffic jam after a particularly hard day at work. The longer you sit the hotter the engine gets. As you watch the temperature gauge climb your anxiety level goes up accordingly. Now picture yourself lying on a beach with warm sun, gentle breezes and peaceful waves. No stress there.

You can’t take a vacation every time things get tense, but you can learn to relax. We can’t think of any better way to achieve a state of relaxation than by listening to or watching one of Dr. Emmett Miller’s CDs or DVDs. Emmett has been transporting people to relaxing internal environments for over 20 years. This physician has one of the most soothing voices we have ever heard. Our all-time favorites remain, “Rainbow Butterfly,” “Letting Go of Stress,” “Easing Into Sleep,” and “Ten Minute Stress Manager.” Here’s more information from Dr. Miller about anxiety.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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