Navigating Anxiety: 4 Practical Strategies from EMDR Therapy

Everybody experiences anxiety on some level, unfortunately for some though it can take over their entire day or life. Anxiety can manifest as constant worry, fear, or a sense of dread that can interfere with everyday functioning. For some, it’s a persistent feeling of unease, while for others, it can lead to physical symptoms like racing heartbeats, shallow breathing, and muscle tension. This overwhelming sense of anxiety can impact everything from work performance and relationships to simple daily activities. It often leads people to avoid situations that trigger their anxiety, creating a cycle of stress that can feel impossible to break. Whether it's social anxiety, generalized anxiety, or panic attacks, the effects can be limiting and keep someone from experiencing life to the fullest and enjoy moments of peace.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic approach originally developed to help people process and heal from trauma. It’s based on the idea that unprocessed traumatic memories can get "stuck" in the brain, causing emotional and psychological distress. EMDR aims to help individuals reprocess these memories in a way that reduces their emotional charge and allows for healthier coping mechanisms.

EMDR involves eight phases where a trained therapist guides the client through the recall of distressing memories while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation—typically eye movements, though tapping or sounds may also be used. This process is thought to help the brain "reprocess" the memory, integrating it more appropriately into the person’s broader life narrative.

When it comes to anxiety, EMDR can be particularly effective because much of the anxiety we experience is often tied to unresolved trauma or deeply ingrained negative beliefs. For instance, if someone has experienced a past event that left them feeling unsafe, they may carry that feeling of unease into situations that trigger anxiety, even if the threat is no longer present. By processing these memories through EMDR, individuals can often reduce the intensity of their anxiety and shift their response to future stressors.

The goal of EMDR is to help reduce anxiety not only by reprocessing past trauma but also by teaching the brain to create new, healthier associations to the triggers that previously caused anxiety. As a result, many people find relief from chronic worry, panic attacks, and generalized anxiety, experiencing greater emotional balance and resilience in their everyday lives.

EMDR treatment offers practical strategies to help manage anxiety. One key phase of EMDR is the Preparation/Resource Phase, during which the therapist focuses on the first trauma pillar: safety and stabilization. In this phase, time is dedicated to learning coping skills and techniques that create a sense of safety and provide useful tools for managing distress that may arise during or after EMDR therapy. While there are many techniques introduced during this phase, I want to share a few of my favorites—tools that I believe anyone can benefit from, whether they are undergoing EMDR therapy or not.

Strategy 1: Bilateral Stimulation for Grounding

What Is Bilateral Stimulation and how can it help?

Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is a core component of EMDR therapy. It involves alternating stimulation to both sides of the body and brain, typically through eye movements, taps, or sounds. During an EMDR session, your therapist might guide your eyes back and forth or use tactile sensations (like tapping the hands or knees) or auditory cues (like alternating tones or sounds). The idea is to engage both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously in a rhythmic pattern, which helps process distressing memories and emotions.

As you are engaging in bilateral stimulation and engaging both hemispheres, you are also helping to calm your nervous system and amygdala (emotion center of the brain) allowing the brain to transition from a "fight-or-flight" state to a relaxed "rest-and-digest" state,

You may not even notice it, but we can be engaging in bilateral movement without noticing it. One way of this is when we are going on a walk. As you walk, you might notice yourself looking from left to right at what surrounds you. By doing this, you are engaging in bilateral stimulation.

For those experiencing anxiety, this process can be a grounding effect. It helps break the cycle of overwhelming emotions by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation. The rhythm of BLS helps to slow the body’s fight-or-flight response, creating a calming, centering effect that can reduce anxiety in the moment.

Practical Tip

You can try simple bilateral stimulation techniques on your own to experience the calming effects. For example, you can gently tap your legs alternately, sway side-to-side, or “walk-in” by sitting and having each foot go from toe to heel, one at a time. Alternatively, there are apps available that offer EMDR-inspired sounds with alternating tones, designed to mimic the bilateral stimulation process. These techniques can be helpful in moments of acute anxiety, offering an immediate way to soothe and center yourself.

Strategy 2: Container Visualization

In EMDR therapy, another resourcing technique is the container exercise. When being done in a session, your therapist will invite you to imagine creating a mental "container" where you can safely store distressing thoughts, emotions, or memories. The idea is to provide a symbolic space where difficult emotions or experiences can be temporarily "put away," allowing you to feel more in control and less overwhelmed during or after therapy. This mental container could be anything from a box to a safe, a chest, or any object that you find reassuring. Once you have placed the emotions or memories inside the container, you can securely close the lid, creating a sense of containment and safety.

Why It Works

The container technique works because it taps into the brain's need for safety and organization. Anxiety can appear when we feel unsafe or overwhelmed by thoughts, emotions, or memories, and we lack a sense of control over them. By imagining placing difficult feelings into a container, you can create a mental boundary that helps separate distressing emotions from the present moment. This provides psychological relief by temporarily "putting away" the intensity of anxiety, so you can focus on the current environment. It also can feel empowering by having control over your emotional experiences. The container offers a way to manage intense emotions in real-time and return to them when it feels safer to do so—whether during therapy or later on in a more controlled setting.

Practical Tip

Here’s a simple container visualization exercise you can use when feeling anxious:

  1. Find a Quiet Spot: Sit comfortably in a chair or lie down in a relaxed position. Close your eyes if that feels comfortable or focus on something in front of you to help focus your mind.

  2. Take Deep Breaths: Breathe in deeply for a count of four, hold for a moment, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this a few times to calm your body and mind.

  3. Visualize Your Container: Imagine a container that feels strong and secure to you. It can be anything—a sturdy box, a safe, a jar, or a chest. Picture it in front of you, and imagine its details: what color is it? How big or small is it? Is it made of wood, metal, or something else?

  4. Place Your Anxiety Inside: Now, focus on any feelings or thoughts causing you anxiety. Imagine them as a physical object (like a piece of paper, a ball, or liquid), and gently place them into the container. Visualize sealing the lid tightly, knowing the container is strong enough to hold everything safely inside.

  5. Sense the Relief: Feel the immediate shift as the container holds your anxiety. Allow yourself to feel a sense of relief as you symbolically let go of the intensity. You can even imagine the container becoming smaller or more distant as it moves away from you, further reducing the immediate emotional weight.

  6. Pick a Cue Word: As you experience your container, identify a word or phrase that can be used as a cue word or phase. This will help you to “drop in” to your container when you need it. Repeat the word or phase as you continue to imagine your container and notice the positive feelings that arise.

  7. Return to the Present Moment: When you’re ready, take a few more deep breaths and gently bring your focus back to the here and now. Carry with you the sense of safety and control you’ve just created.

By practicing this technique, you can learn to "put away" overwhelming feelings during stressful moments, knowing that you have the ability to access them later when you feel more grounded or when it’s appropriate to process them further. This can be especially helpful during times of acute anxiety or stress, offering a quick mental tool to manage overwhelming emotions.

Strategy 3: Safe Place/Peaceful/Calming Visualization

In EMDR therapy, one important technique involves guiding clients to create a mental “safe place”—a calming, secure location they can visualize whenever they feel overwhelmed or anxious. In an EMDR session, your therapist will help you visualize a place that feels peaceful and soothing, whether it’s a real or imagined environment. This might be a serene beach, a quiet forest, or a cozy room. The goal is to anchor in a space where you can always return, especially during moments of distress or anxiety.

Why It Works

The safe place technique works because it provides an immediate emotional refuge. By having a specific place to return to in their mind, clients can access a sense of control and security, even when they are facing difficult emotions. In moments of heightened anxiety, the safe place acts as a psychological retreat, allowing the person to disconnect from the stress of the present moment and reconnect with a place where they feel completely at ease. This technique is particularly effective because it taps into the power of visualization and the mind-body connection—when you imagine a calming space, your body often follows suit, relaxing and reducing anxiety. It serves as a mental reset, helping to quiet the mind and lower physiological stress.

Practical Tip

Here’s a simple safe-place visualization exercise you can try the next time you’re feeling anxious:

  1. Find a Quiet Spot: Sit comfortably in a chair or lie down in a relaxed position. Close your eyes if that feels comfortable or focus on something in front of you to help focus your mind.

  2. Breathe Deeply: Take a few deep breaths to calm your nervous system—inhale through your nose for a count of four, hold for a moment, and then exhale slowly through your mouth.

  3. Imagine Your Safe Place: Picture a place where you feel safe or at peace. It could be somewhere you’ve been before or an entirely imagined environment. Pay attention to the details: what do you see, hear, smell, and feel?

  4. Engage Your Senses: As long as it feels comfortable, immerse yourself in the sensory experience. Feel the warmth of the sun or the cool breeze on your skin. Hear the sounds around you—maybe the waves crashing on the shore or birds singing in the trees.

  5. Pick a Cue Word: As you experience your space, identify a word or phrase that describes your palace and can be used as a “cue word/phase”. This will help you to “drop in” to your space when you need it. Repeat the word or phase as you continue to imagine your space and notice the positive feelings that arise.

  6. Stay There for a Few Moments: Spend a few minutes in this place, allowing your body and mind to relax and soak in the feelings of comfort and peace.

  7. Slowly Return: When you’re ready, gently bring your focus back to the present moment, carrying with you the calm and safety you’ve cultivated.

By practicing this exercise regularly, you can train your mind to quickly access this peaceful mental space whenever anxiety arises.

Strategy 4: Spiral Technique

In EMDR therapy, the "spiral technique" is a resourcing method where you imagine distressing sensations or memories as a swirling spiral within their body, and then mentally change the direction of that spiral to potentially reduce the intensity of the negative emotions associated with the memory; essentially, it's a way to visualize and manipulate the energy of a disturbing experience to lessen its impact.

Practical Tip

  1. Identify sensations in the body that accompany the disturbance 

    • Where are the sensations located? 

    • How would you describe the sensations? (Temperature, texture, movement, color, density, sound, image, etc.).

    • How disturbing are the sensations/feelings to you on a 1-10 scale? 

  2. Concentrate on the feelings in your body. Pretend the feelings and sensations are energy. 

  3. If the sensations were going in a spiral, what direction would it be moving in, clockwise or counterclockwise? 

  4. Now with your mind, let’s change the direction of the movement so that the spiral is rotating the other way. Just notice what happens as it moves in the opposite direction. 

    • What happens? 

  5. How disturbing are the sensations/feelings to you now on a 1-10 scale?

By practicing this exercise regularly, you have a technique that can help to shift the physical manifestation of your anxiety.

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