Stress and anxiety have become a part of the daily lives of many. Unfortunately, they are something that most people have to learn to live with as there's no easy fix against them. But not having an all-encompassing solution against these very prolific mental health issues does not mean that there are no ways you can lessen their severity.
There are many tools you can turn to for help when dealing with anxiety and stress, among which you'll even find Alexa. The following Alexa skills help reduce the harmful effects of stress and anxiety, at least a little.
1. Calm Now
Say "Alexa, open Calm Now."
To be overcome with emotion, even if it's a positive one, can be pretty overwhelming. And, if it's not positive, it can be outright awful. At times when we're feeling sad, angry, anxious, stressed, or all of the above, a skill like Calm Now can come in handy. It helps by guiding you into calming yourself through various techniques, like counting to 10 or breathing deeply, and even shaking out your legs or arms as though you have something crawling on them. That may seem silly, but it does help.
Though the skill was initially intended for children to use, don't underestimate it. It can help adults, as well.
2. Keep Calm
Say "Alexa, open Keep Calm."
The Keep Calm skill lives in the same realm as Calm Now, and it's more catered to adults. It aims to help you help yourself by offering various calming techniques you can explore.
The skill offers four different categories of methods you can delve into when in need of relaxing. You'll find various breathing exercises and stretches, as well as mantras and positive affirmations. Whichever one of these you feel will help you most in the situation you find yourself in, don't hesitate to try it.
3. Relax Me - Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Say "Launch Relax Me."
Emotions don't only affect us on a mental level. They often tend to manifest physically, as well. Hyperventilating, heart beating too fast, spasms or flinches, or headaches—it could be anything. The manifestation itself depends on the person and the emotion they're dealing with at the time. A skill like Relax Me can be useful when the feeling becomes so strong that it manifests physically.
The skill can help you quiet your mind and relax your body. It offers a progressive muscle relaxation exercise that lasts about fifteen minutes, during which it guides you through the motions. What it teaches can be applied anywhere, anytime, even if Alexa isn't within reach at that moment. Whenever you feel a panic or anxiety attack coming on or stress builds to the point when you can't take it, turn to Relax Me - Progressive Muscle Relaxation, and do your best to indeed relax.
4. Square Breathing
Say "Alexa, start Square Breathing."
Breathing can be crucial when you become overwhelmed with emotion. An anxiety attack, for example, often causes hyperventilation, which tends to leave you struggling to catch a breath. That can lead to some pretty severe consequences. At best, you'll get lightheaded. And at worst, you might pass out. So, knowing how to breathe properly can be the difference between having a good and a bad day.
The Square Breathing skill offers techniques to improve your breathing and battle the repercussions of stress and anxiety. It helps you take back the control and guides you through the four sides of the breathing square—inhaling, holding, exhaling, holding in equal measure. It counts with you as you do your breathing and steals your focus away from what initially caused the overwhelming emotion, eventually helping you calm down.
5. Anti-Anxiety
Say "Alexa, open Anti-Anxiety."
Words of comfort and support can often make a big difference if you're overwhelmed with stress or simply anxious. Sometimes, a few kind words can be all you need to calm down. The Anti-Anxiety skill does its best to offer those when you need them. You can listen to the reassuring phrases and quotes that the skill has in store for you.
Often, we are victims of our own thoughts, so when we hear words that offer inspiration and encouragement that directly oppose what we're thinking, it helps lessen the severity of the experience. Next time you get taken aback by stress or anxiety, feel tense, or simply get overwhelmed with obsessive thoughts, give Anti-Anxiety's soothing words of comfort a chance.
6. Anxiety Stress
Say "Alexa, launch Anxiety Stress."
It's not uncommon that when struggling with anxiety, you can't focus on what people are saying to you. Even if they mean well and seek to help you, acknowledging their advice can be tough. However, when you are indeed in a state that allows you to listen to, acknowledge, and accept advice, you can turn to the Anxiety Stress skill.
It offers useful stress advice along with relaxing music to help you respond to the stress in your life. You can visit the skill multiple times and receive different advice for each visit.
7. Relaxing Sounds: Music Of Peace
Say "Alexa, play Music of Peace."
Relaxing through music is hardly a novel idea. Music has been known to help people calm down. So it's hardly a surprise that Alexa has an array of useful skills that offer calming sounds and music to help people destress and be less anxious.
Relaxing Sounds: Music Of Peace is but one of the skills that you can turn to when in need. It can be a calming background to your activities or environment, or you can simply play it and focus on what you hear in an attempt to quiet yourself.
The skill creates an ambiance that's perfect for relaxation.
8. Sweet Dreams: Sounds & Meditations for Sleep
Say "Alexa, ask Sweet Dreams to play Rain."
Anxiety and stress can often keep you awake at night and mess with your sleep schedule. You don't get enough sleep and spend the day even more stressed and the night anxious that you won't be able to fall asleep again. It's a vicious cycle that, unfortunately, a lot of people live with and know.
The Sweet Dreams: Sounds & Meditations for Sleep skill offers a helping hand. It provides both sounds and meditations for when you want to fall asleep but have trouble doing so. There's a variety of sounds you can choose to listen to and soothe yourself into falling asleep. You'll find rain, brook, stream, forest, and more among the available selection. The meditations you can pick from have the following names: Falling Asleep, Soften and Relax, Breathing in Waves, Review the Day. All are designed to calm your mind and help you sleep.
Don't let stress or anxiety get the better of you, and keep you awake. If you're plagued by thoughts keeping you up, maybe turn to the meditations and try to quiet your mind. If you find it too difficult to relax and drift into sleep, play one of the available sounds, lay back, and enjoy it until you give in to slumber.
Help Is There if You Just Look for It
Stress and anxiety are things that many, if not most, people struggle with. You don't have to struggle alone, though. There is help available to lessen the impact these mental issues can have on you.
Don't force yourself to manage your emotions on your own. Accept the helping hand, and try these different skills at your disposal. And if you don't like them, try other ones. Keep trying until you find what does work for you.
When there are so many things that can help you, why not take advantage?