People are appreciating the importance of mental health now more than ever. After all, the sheer number of people that experience mental health problems is hard to ignore. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health issues today.
An estimated 31% of adults in the US experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. So, it’s easy to see why people might be looking out for ways to help them deal with it. These days, mental health facilities are more accessible than ever.
You can consult with doctors online to help you deal with your anxiety. You don’t have to go hunting for the nearest doctor’s office every time you need medical attention. There are techniques available that can help you reduce your anxiety by yourself.
The 3-3-3 rule is among these techniques. This rule involves using calming methods to quiet down your anxiety. This may be an informal technique, but it’s not without its benefits. Let’s explore how you can reduce your anxiety by using the 3-3-3 rule.
Who Should Use the 3-3-3 Rule
The 3-3-3 rule might not work for everyone in every situation. There are different types of anxiety disorders out there that various people deal with. Each disorder needs a specific treatment. But, this doesn’t mean that there are no general techniques that can help you with your anxiety.
Anyone facing a rise in their anxiety levels can use the 3-3-3 rule. This is especially true for children and teenagers. But, sometimes a simple technique won’t work on calming down a full-blown anxiety attack.
You don’t have to force yourself to use this technique if your anxiety gets too overwhelming. If you’d rather get help, then it would be wise to pick from doctors online that treat mental health disorders.
But, if you’d rather see them in person, you can look for a doctor in your vicinity you can visit. An online search for a ‘doctor’s office near me’ will yield many useful results. You’ll be able to find several doctors that specialize in mental health treatments.
You can sort through these doctors based on their fees and other factors. But, mental health treatments can sometimes be pretty costly. So, it would make sense to look for Medicare doctors near you offering mental health services.
This is if you’re covered under Medicare. If you’re not, you can compare fees from different healthcare providers and make your choice.
The Rules of the 3-3-3 Technique
For those unfamiliar with the 3-3-3 rule, it consists of three steps. We’ll explore each of these three steps in detail here.
Rule 1: See
The first step in the 3-3-3 rule is to see. Sure, it sounds a little too simplistic at first, but it works wonders for anxiety. So how does seeing help you calm your anxiety? It’s straightforward: you pause and look at your surroundings when you’re feeling anxious.
This may be easier said than done for many people experiencing anxiety. After all, anxiety brings intrusive, disturbing thoughts with it. If you’re dealing with that, it’s not easy to stop and look around.
But, if you can take a few deep breaths and focus on things around you, it would help. Take a look at your surroundings and try to identify three objects. Once you identify them, look at them closely and observe their physical features.
Remember to focus on each object individually and pay them enough attention. Think about all the little details that make up the object. This should help you take your mind off intrusive thoughts.
Rule 2: Listen
The second rule in the 3-3-3 technique is quite like the first. You would need to pause and listen to the sounds you hear around you. If you’re finding it difficult to focus, closing your eyes can help. Close your eyes, focus on breathing evenly, and listen.
After a few moments of listening, you’ll be able to separate each sound you can hear. Try and take in as much as you can of each sound. Not every sound you can hear in your surroundings may be pleasant to you. But, this doesn’t mean that you should stop listening.
Try and listen as hard as you can and pick out three distinct sounds. Allow each sound to flow through you until you can hear little else. Sounds of traffic and other everyday sounds might not exactly seem relaxing. But the key here is to divert your attention from what’s making you anxious.
If you close your eyes, you can try and identify where the sound is coming from. You can even think about what the object creating the sound looks like. It would help if you tried to focus more on soothing sounds around you.
Rule 3: Touch
This last rule is one that helps many people to overcome their feelings of anxiety. The key to following this rule is engaging your sense of touch. The best way to do this is to start by choosing any three parts of your body.
Once you’ve chosen them, focus on each body part one at a time. It would be best if you could move the body parts you’ve chosen. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should get up and move around. If you’re lying down or sitting, choose body parts you can move in these positions.
Move each chosen part of your body in turn. Remember to use full, relaxing movements to relieve stress. For instance, if you’ve chosen your neck, move it from side to side. You can do this by gently rolling your head back side to side. Anxiety often causes us to tense up our muscles.
Using these slow, gentle movements will help relieve some of that tension as well. So, this third rule can help with releasing muscle tension and calming down anxiety.
Conclusion
The 3-3-3 rule shouldn’t be considered as the sole treatment to help you with your anxiety. Sure, it’s a technique that works for many people in different ways. But, it’s by no means a replacement for professional medical care.
You would still need to consult offline or online doctors to help with your anxiety. After all, this can be a chronic condition and would need constant treatment. The 3-3-3 rule can come in when you don’t have access to a healthcare professional.
Or, you can use it when you’re waiting to receive medical care. Remember to seek out a mental health professional if your anxiety is overwhelming.