Don’t Panic!

Your mouth is dry and your throat feels like it’s closing. Your stomach is doing somersaults and your vision is swimming. People around you are talking, but you can’t concentrate on what’s being said.

Sound familiar?

If you suffer from anxiety, that scenario is probably all too familiar. It might even be a daily occurrence for you.

Why are you talking about anxiety in an ADHD blog?

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), roughly half of people diagnosed with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder.

It’s likely that if you have ADHD, you may also experience some form of regular anxiety.

If you’re a regular listener of Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast, you’ve probably heard me share that I also deal with anxiety.

Living with anxiety…well, to be honest, it sucks. Constantly feeling like something is wrong, or something will go wrong, can make it hard to function sometimes.

But, while I live with anxiety, I have tried to find ways to help lessen the symptoms of anxiety and help ground me to reality.

There are a million websites and blogs on how to calm your emotions when you’re feeling overwhelmed or experiencing an anxiety attack. I don’t believe there is any one perfect way to combat anxiety when it pops up. You may need to try a few different techniques and find what helps you.

But, if you know me, you know I have a couple of my favorite techniques to share with you.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

This breathing technique was introduced by Dr. Sharon Saline on one of her most recent visits to The ADHD Podcast. She mentioned the technique in passing, but when Pete and I heard the term, we had to know more! It turns out the process is quite simple. You begin by pressing close one nostril with your hand. Then, inhale through the other open nostril. There are different variations to this technique like breathing in one nostril and alternating to breathe out the same breath from the other nostril. You can try different sequences and see what you prefer.

The point of the exercise is to direct all your focus on your breath. When you direct all air to just one nostril, it brings your attention to your breathing and pulls that same attention away from the anxiety you were previously focusing on.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Grounding Technique

This is a very popular technique I’ve seen recommended all over the internet. However, I first learned about this technique while listening to my podcast co-host, Pete’s, other podcast, What’s That Smell? It’s actually a podcast all about the different things that trigger anxiety for people. While it’s informative, it’s also very funny! During an episode in Season 2, Pete describes the process of the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Grounding Technique:

When you find yourself gripped by a bout of anxiety, try to focus on what is around you using this system:

5. Try to find five different things around you that you can see.
(example: 1-computer screen, 2-curtains, 3-framed poster, 4-pen, 5-light)

4. Locate four items that you can touch/feel.
(example: 1-the chair I’m sitting in, 2-the keyboard, 3-the wooden desk, 4-my feet on the hardwood floor)

3. Pinpoint three things you can hear.
(example: 1-my Spotify playlist, 2-the click-clack of my keyboard, 3-the traffic outside my window)

2. Find two things you can smell.
(example: 1-my coffee, 2-my perfume)

1 Finally, identify one thing you can currently taste.
(example: 1-my coffee with vanilla creamer)

The process might feel a little silly or childish the first time you try it, but I would encourage you to give it a shot—at least once.

The point of this technique is to bring you back to the here and now. Anxiety spirals often consist of our thoughts wandering on scary, nightmare tangents that we can’t seem to escape. The practice of pointing out real, tangible items in front of you can help pull you away from the ‘what ifs’ and return you to the ‘what are’s’.

I understand that living with anxiety is hard. I know it gets even harder when you also have ADHD. Living with a brain that tends to focus on the scary negatives makes it that much harder to get your ADHD brain to focus on what’s important.

I hope you might try one of the techniques I shared. Regardless, I just want to let you know, when it comes to anxiety, you’re not alone—no matter what your brain might try to tell you.

Thank you for your time and attention,

-Nikki