A Grounding Exercise for Anxiety in Parkinson’s

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Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Anxiety looks a little different to everyone, but it may look like excessive rumination on a topic or thought, feelings of fear, feeling physically restless, sweating, increased heart rate, trembling, difficulty concentrating, or persistent worry.

Anxiety occurs when there is a perceived threat (whether real or imagined), and the body responds naturally by activating the central nervous system, resulting in the above symptoms and preparing the body for its fight against this perceived threat. However, in today's modern world, the body's natural response, which may have been helpful hundreds of years ago, can be a hindrance to living well and solving the problem at hand in a healthy way.

In the following video, Judy Long, a trained teacher in Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance, shows us how by practicing certain exercises such as grounding, you can actually calm the nervous system response down, which in turn tells the brain that the perceived threat is no longer a threat and can lead to reduced anxiety and a more stable emotional state.

To download the transcript, click here.

Ready for more?

For more mindfulness exercises, check out our mindfulness series on The Parkinson's Podcast, featuring five mindfulness exercises all under 10 minutes.

Regular exercise is also important in addressing anxiety, both in the moment and as a preventative measure. The Davis Phinney Foundation YouTube channel is full of exercises you can do right now, from the comfort of your own home. To get started, try any one of the videos below.

Tai Chi

Rock Steady Boxing

Zumba

Dance for PD®

educate yourself

Anxiety is a natural part of life, but if you are experiencing a level or frequency of anxiety that is causing you undue distress or interrupting your ability to do day-to-day activities, it is important to seek help, and there is help available.

Educate yourself on what causes anxiety and how to find help. The following resources will help you understand your anxiety, and give you the resources to get help today.

Managing Mood and Anxiety

Depression, Anxiety, and Apathy and How to Manage Them

Fight Back Against Depression and Anxiety in Parkinson's

Parkinson's Depression and Anxiety: The Demon, The Witch, and the Everyday Hero

For more information

Request your Every Victory Counts® manual now. This book is packed with up-to-date information about everything Parkinson’s, plus an expanded worksheets and resources section to help you put what you’ve learned into action.

Thank you to our 2021 Peak Partners, Adamas, Amneal, Kyowa Kirin, and Sunovion, as well as our Every Victory Counts Gold Sponsor AbbVie Grants, Silver Sponsor Lundbeck, and Bronze Sponsors Supernus and Theravance for helping us provide the Every Victory Counts manual to our community for free.

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