relaxation exercises make my anxiety WORSE

I don´t know what´s up with me lately. But often now when I try to do relaxation exercises, like meditation, breathing, even thai chi or yoga, I become MORE anxious. When I was only lightly anxious I might end up with a full on pounding heart and sweaty hands.

Does anyone know this or knows what´s going on?

It was helpful to move instead of sit to quiet my anxiety. Things that help are tailored to what you find to be useful. Purposeful walking works well for me, a strong rhythm in my gate outside in fresh air has been useful. It was and is quite frustrating for me at times too.

good luck to you, and I hope you are feeling better soon.
Jade

I get like this too, and my therapist said it's because I'm so used to being constantly on "flight and fight" that my body isn't used to being able to relax so I get more anxious. I'm not sure if we're going to keep working on it though.

This happens to me too. Im not sure why, I tried a range of different relaxation techniques and found the one that caused me the least anxiety. Some days I do still get anxious but I just try to experience the feeling and know it cant do anything to me while I am practicing relaxation.

for me relaxation methods do very little for me.

i need to be on the go- when i try to relax i just find myself thinking about other anxious things..

i really want to try yoga! i'm so lazy though so i haven't done it.

for me, i think i can't sit still... if i'm trying to meditate (which i have to do once a week in a group i go to) my thoughts go haywire and race instead of ebb and flow peacefully or whatever. i really want to benefit from meditation because i hear it can really quiet your mind-- i don't know if i'm being willful, or if i genuinely can't relax.

I do this really basic mindful yoga tape thingo, it is so nice and easy but so very relaxing and I find having a movement to focus on takes my mind of any anxiety I might be feeling.

I used to have this problem. And probably still would/will when my anxiety and other symptoms are severe...the breathing part used to make me want to run screaming.
Over the years, this seems to have changed....

I have even spent money for relaxation classes that caused such stress I did not finish and lost my money. Tried hypnosis once and it felt like my skin was on fire.

sometimes it just feels very frustrating to try to settle down when you are anxious. breathing exercises will usually work for me but you can do those even you are doing other things, like sitting in a meeting with other people or driving or doing laundry, etc.

Yep, I have times like that.

One theory on the cause of anxiety is the "fight or flight" reponse. With a wild animal, the body prepares them to escape a predator, which they do (or die trying), and the body returns to it's regular state. When humans have a fight or flight reaction to a stressful situation, the body physically remains quiet and the fight or flight response can turn to anxiety. As a result, a recommendation is to participate in an aerobic activity if you are in a place you can, such as jogging, perhaps running up a couple flights of stairs, jumping jacks, whatever. It shouldn't take much to get that adrenaline out of your system.

Have I tried this? From time to time. Usually I am unable or far too unmotivated, but yes, it does help. If I'm at home and not too tied up with the hubby or kids I will dance up a sweat and usually my anxiety simmers down for awhile.

I have had anxiety when doing relaxation but I have noticed it has to do with my stomach. Also if you only do relaxation when you feel anxious or stressed it does not work. You have to make it an everyday routine and make it part of you everyday life.

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I'm the same way. For some reason the breathing exercises make me anxious. It's gotten a bit better though. And like some people said, being on the go seems to be more helpful, sitting still makes me feel kind of trapped and I hate that feeling.

I have been trying to do a meditation/relaxation cd this week. I, too, can't seem to stop my racing thoughts well enough to focus on the breathing. I used to be able to do the breathing/relaxation exercises so well, but that's before this depression/anxiety phase kicked in.

Hate to say it, but I'm quite glad to hear other people here have the same issue - I thought it was just me and something wrong with me not being able to relax, in fact anything remotely like relaxing or focusing on my breathing ramps my anxiety up to the nth degree. All those sorts of things that are supposed to help with anxiety like mindfulness, controlled breathing, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, all make me a squillion times more anxious than before I start.

Maybe there's something in the being active aspect that uses up the energy anxiety creates? I know that I feel better, if not actually relaxed per se, after I've had a run or done some sort of physical activity (even like housework, vacuuming that sort of thing.)

It seems a given doesn't it, that we're supposed to seek relaxation as if it's the right thing for everyone, but maybe it's not. Although it sure would be nice to just sit down and consciously relax without getting all wound up because of or about it

I am another person who has this same trouble ~ I always have.

15 years after kicking my panic disorder, and I still cannot focus on my breathing. Doing so makes my breath all mixed up & then I start hyperventilating!

What does work for me in relaxation exercises is visualization. I fully involve myself in the exercise (with as many senses as possible being stimulated). A favorite: Imagine a forest, with big tall pine trees. They're close together, but you can see spots of blue sky and sunshine rays coming through the spots without trees. Take a deep breath and you can smell the pine in the air. It smells so good and refreshing! There is a small walking path through the mountain area. You walk along the path, hearing pine needles break & pine cones fall from the trees as you walk along. The air feels comfortably cool. As you continue your walk through the mountain, you can also hear the sound of flowing water. The sound is becoming louder and louder, the trees grouping is also becoming more sporadic. The sunlight area is therefore larger. It feels good to have the sunshine kissing your body. Warming your scalp, arms, and face. A-ha! You see a small stream on your walk, and decide to follow it for a little while. After walking for another mile or so, the stream widens and slows down. You decide to stop and watch the stream for a little while, sitting alongside the water. The stream is crystal clear. You can see big and small rocks in the water. Little pebbles, covered in a bit of algae, rocking back and forth. Bits of tree bark and sticks occasionally flow along the stream. Squirrels run around and pine cones continue to fall from the trees. Very peaceful. You enjoy this mountainside.

Whenever you're ready, you can walk back to your car. Slowly smiling, completely enjoying being in that moment. You can come back any time. It's always there for you.

That is a personal favorite of mine. It does help put me into a much calmer state of mind, when I need that. Just think of all of the fun and calm things that you can do out on the mountain! You can skip stones; go for a hike and get lots of pictures taken of the beauty for you to look back upon; camp out & imagine relaxing beside the fire; the list goes on!

I hope that I haven't triggered anyone in my description..and I REALLY hope that I have given you some ideas that do help relax you. Very gentle hugs & best wishes to you!

I find that there can be a "backlash" to things like meditating, so I try to do these things a little at a time only. Over time, and taken gradually, they seem to help. I find keeping busy (especially doing physical chores) good "therapy"

If you "let down your guard" and relax, something bad might happen, so you get more anxious, expecting the bad thing to come. At least that is how I explained it to myself.

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here. I thought I'd jump right in. I really need a place to get some of this out without affecting my family.

When I am just moderately anxious (which is my default state I think), meditation on the breath (just awareness of it, not trying to control it or calm it) can help me.

When I am agitated, calming down or focusing on the breath leads to noticing my many anxious thoughts. It's is almost painful because the thoughts feel unhealthy. They are more dark, they "come at me" faster and don't seem to leave. That is part of what brings me here, and why my username is "mindfulstew." Mindfulness is the kind of path I want to take with my life, but much of the time it is almost impossible with my combination of depression and anxiety.

Like others here, when I am agitated it is usually better for me to just keep moving - clean the house, get the errands done, because then I have less to feel bad about (at least i got something done instead of just sitting around feeling awful or trying to calm down!).

Many people with anxiety can't do most if any type of relaxation exercises. I think that is just fine, it is okay, not at all a sign that something more is wrong with us.

It has helped me a lot to view all this as experiments, trying things out, so there is no failure, just new information. I personally don't do well with things that make me feel floaty and spaced out. I do much better with some exercise, even housework can help. Also healthy distraction, like something new to learn, something to read, something new to think about.

I know there is a push to do relaxation exercises and even some pressure to believe that we are only good if we can do them, I don't think that is accurate. I've read of others not finding relaxation exercises to be helpful, including people who have left cults, and who need to find a way back to stability.

I guess it helps some people but I'm more like you. None of that stuff ever helped me and yes, some times made it worse too. It's amazing how people are different.

For me drinking water helps a lot. It sounds boring and dumb but oftentimes I'm dehydrated when I'm the most anxious.

Also yoga doesn't have to be anything fancy, just simple stretching moves. I'm also in the boat where if I have to be still I'm quite fidgety.