6 Pressure Points For Anxiety Relief: Where Are They?
If you are curious about pressure points anxiety relief – we have the answer. Acupressure comes from the philosophies and traditions of ancient Chinese medicine.
These philosophies suggest that your body is made of energy, and when something blocks that energy (you guessed it, anxiety) we use pressure points to remove tension, stress, and anxiety in general.
There are hundreds of pressure points on our body especially on our hands, head, and chest. I did some research and I’ve come up with the 6 most popular pressure points for anxiety relief:
Table of Contents
Where are the pressure points for anxiety relief?
1. The Sea Of Tranquility
The “sea of tranquility” point lies in the middle of the chest. It is popular in the acupressure community because it’s literally suggesting that “you’re protecting your heart”.
How to do this:
- You can do this either by standing straight or sitting in a chair. For me, I find that I can concentrate more while sitting. It may also help to close your eyes.
- Bring both hands to the breast bone and apply firm pressure.
- Engage to the point, take deep breaths for about 2-3 minutes.
Related Post: How To Reduce Anxiety In Your Life
2. Letting Go Point
Similar to the sea of tranquility, the “letting go” point is a heart-guarding point and lies right below the collarbones.
You can perform by just touching this point with your fingers, but I prefer crossing your arms. By doing so, you tend to feel a little bit more protective.
How to do this:
- Cross your hands and touch with your fingers just below the collarbone area of your chest.
- Whenever you feel tenderness, apply a bit of pressure to the point.
- Close your eyes and breath deeply for about 2-3 minutes.
Read: 30 Powerful Grounding Affirmations for Anxiety Relief
3. Various “Karate Chop”
The karate chops variations points are located in your arm. You can either hold the base of your thumb, your pinky or hold the inside of your wrist.
It is being said that engaging these pressure points is great for anxiety relief, reducing headaches and neck pain.
How to do this:
- Choose your focal point.
- Engage by holding it and applying firm pressure.
- Take big, deep inhalations and exhalations for 1-2 minutes.
The “karate chop” points are also ideal if you’re feeling nauseous. So, if you know that you’re anxiety makes you feel that you’re gonna lose your lunch, they are a great tool to have in your arsenal.
4. The Gates Of Consciousness
The “gate of consciousness” lies in the area where the deadline meets the neckline. Stimulating this point helps relieve stress, and headache-related tension, and it’s beneficial for going to sleep easier because it puts you into a meditative state.
How to do this:
- Hold into that point for 2-3 minutes.
- Take deep breaths.
- If you get exhausted by having your arms up for that amount of time, a great alternative is putting a small ball into a sock and laying down on the floor or your bed.
Related Post: How To Deal With Stress: Common Bad Ways People Deal With It And Their Solution
5. The Third Eye
The third eye point lies in the center of your forehead. By stimulating this point, you’re actually engaging the medial prefrontal cortex of your brain, the part of your brain where mindful awareness occurs when you practice meditation.
How to do this:
- Place your index and middle finger in the center of your forehead.
- Engage by softly massaging this spot up and down.
- Close your eyes and take deep breaths for 3-4 minutes.
6. The GB-1
The GB-1 point lies behind your eyes, between your forehead and ears. It’s called the temple area. By engaging this pressure point, it is said to relieve anxiety, headaches and jaw pain.
How to do this:
- Place your index and middle finger in the “temples” area of your face.
- Rub gently, in a circular motion for about one minute, gradually lowering the pressure.
Be mindful of when to seek out professional help.
If you find nothing is working, consider seeing a doctor or a therapist about your anxiety, in the end, I’m not a professional.
You should seek out professional help when you have:
Psychological symptoms:
- Low self-esteem and confidence.
- Feelings of not being worthy-enough.
- Feelings of depression.
- Self-sabotaging and suicidal thoughts.
Physical problems
- Panic attacks.
- Vomiting
- Insomnia, can’t sleep.
- Not eating.
There is nothing wrong with seeking mental health help. A therapist is literally paid to listen to you and has been trained most of his life, no matter how long it takes.
They can also step in and refer you to someone who can prescribe medication if it gets to that point. If it does get to that point, however, don’t feel bad about needing meds. It won’t be forever.
Don’t be ashamed. You are NOT alone. A big portion of the population battles with long-term anxiety, as the World Health Organization says.
Theresa Bedford is a lifestyle and relationship writer with a passion for self-development and to live life to the fullest. She writes about relationships, mindfulness, and simple living. Her work has been seen on the AP newswire, MSN, Wealth of Geeks, Media Decision, and more.
