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Everyone experiences anxiety at some point in their life, the most effective method to reduce it in daily life is by using pressure points for anxiety. Before delving into the topic of pressure points for anxiety, let’s find out more about anxiety.
How Does Anxiety Affect Us?
As mentioned before, everyone gets anxious, it could be before a presentation, first day at a job, or any other social situation that could make you feel out of your comfort zone. The problem arises when this anxious feeling takes home in your thoughts for a longer period of time, a period longer than six months or more.
The problem arises with prolonged anxiety, known as anxiety disorders, as they start to get in the way of day-to-day life activities and at the very end affect your mental as well as physical well-being.
Symptoms of Anxiety
No one person experiences the same symptoms of anxiety1 as others, it depends on what can trigger your body to produce a reaction.
Below are some common symptoms of anxiety (general anxiety):
- Feeling on edge all the time.
- Sweating.
- Increased heart rate.
- Fatigue.
- Difficulty in concentrating.
- Difficulty in falling asleep.
- Breathing problems.
- Panic attacks.
As the symptoms are not the same for everyone, one should know about all the types of anxieties that they could be suffering from to get a better understanding.
5 Types of Anxieties
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized anxiety disorder 2could happen to the best of us. It is worrying about a situation or fearing the outcomes even if there is nothing to worry or fear about. Having Generalized anxiety disorder for a long time can start to create issues in the professional and personal life.
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessions, the unwanted thoughts force you to adapt to certain behavioural patterns (compulsions) when getting things done. Excessively washing hands, cleaning every item before using it, and arranging things in a certain manner are some of the rituals performed by people having OCD. Performing these habits makes the person feel relaxed, and the inability to do so increases the anxiety level.
3. Panic Disorder
Panic attacks are the major symptoms of panic disorders. Panic attacks can be triggered by places that hold a bad memory, any object, or even some people which creates a feeling of intense fear in the body.
4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-Traumatic stress disorder occurs after a horrifying incident that scars the person’s memory for life. The trauma caused by the incident is hard to get over and usually takes a lot of time and patience.
5. Social Anxiety
Also known as social phobia, social anxiety is a self-explanatory term. It is the fear of meeting new people, presenting in front of people, or any type of social situation in which a lot of people are involved. Social anxiety if not treated properly, can worsen with time, and talking to someone can look like a big task.
Anxiety can be easily treated with some environmental and lifestyle changes. But if the anxiety is severe, it is preferable to consult a therapist. Besides these, acupressure has also been very beneficial in reducing the severity of anxiety.
Acupressure is a form of therapy in which the pressure points identified on the body are pressed with the required force to ease the tightening of muscles. Acupressure is the easiest and most effective technique that helps in reducing stress and can make you feel relaxed in a matter of minutes.
To make sure that acupressure is effective, acupressure points should be identified on the body. Some of the pressure points for anxiety are mentioned below:
Pressure Points for Anxiety
1. YIN TANG (HALL OF IMPRESSION)
Location of Yin Tang:
Commonly known as the ‘Hall of Impression’ point, Yin Tang is located between the eyebrows. This location is also known as the third eye.
How to Apply Pressure:
- Sit down at any place comfortably, and close your eyes for better relaxation.
- Touch the Yin Tang point using your thumb or index finger.
- Gently apply firm pressure in a circular motion for 5-10 minutes. While applying the pressure make sure to take deep breaths.
Yin Tang helps in:
- Relaxing.
- Falling asleep.
- Reduces headaches.
- Helps in clearing nasal congestion.
2. SHEN MEN (HT7)
Location of Shen Men:
Commonly known as Spirit Gate, Shen men are located at the wrist crease, directly under the pinky finger.
How to Apply Pressure:
- There is no step-to-step process, whenever you feel stressed just massage the pressure points for anxiety for a minute or two.
- Shen Men can also be massaged before going to sleep for a night of proper and relaxing sleep.
Shen Men Helps in:
- Falling asleep.
- Anxiety.
- Stress.
- Relaxation of chest tightening.
- Settling the mind.
3. GALL BLADDER 21 (GB21)
Location of Gall Bladder 21:
Gall Bladder 21, also known as the ‘Shoulder Well’ point, is found on the shoulder, between the spine and shoulder ball.
How to Apply Pressure:
- Find the Gall Bladder 21 point on your shoulder muscle.
- Using your middle finger and thumb, pinch the muscle.
- With your index finger, massage the spot by applying firm pressure for not more than four to five seconds.
- Gently release the pinch, when massaging the pressure point for anxiety.
- Make sure to take deep breaths while massaging the spot.
- Do not use it if you are pregnant as it is known to bring on labor.
Gall Bladder 21 helps in:
- Releasing stress and tension.
- Anger management.
- Migraines.
- High Blood pressure.
4. LIVER 3 (LR-3)
Location of Liver 3:
Commonly known as the ‘Great Surge’ point, this pressure point of anxiety is located on the foot, below the intersection point of the first and middle toe. The point is found just above the hollow of the bone.
How to Apply Pressure:
- Firstly, find the point on your foot. It can be done by moving your finger up and down the foot.
- Gently apply firm pressure on the Great Surge point.
- Massage for about four to five seconds.
The great surge point is widely used among the pressure points for anxiety to treat digestive and menstrual conditions that are sometimes worsened due to anxiety.
Liver 3 Helps in:
- Anger management.
- Reducing Stress and irritability.
- Headaches
- Calming the body
5. GOVERNING VESSEL 20 (DU-20)
Location of Governing Vessel 20:
Governing vessel 20, also known as the ‘Hundred Meetings’ point is found exactly at the centre of the top of the head. For an easy finding, place a finger on top of both of your ears and imagine a line going from it, wherever your two fingers meet is the Governing Vessel 20.
How to Apply Pressure:
Start with gentle massages for a few seconds and gradually make your way to longer massages on the pressure points for anxiety.
The Hundred Meetings Point helps in:
- Clenched Jaw.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches.
- Eases overthinking and anxious thoughts.
- Insomnia.
- Increased concentration.
6. PERICARDIUM 6
Location of Pericardium 6:
Pericardium 6, commonly known as the ‘Inner Frontier Gate’ point, is found at the inner side of your arm. The pressure points for anxiety are two or three fingers below your wrist.
How to Apply Pressure:
- Turn your arms face upwards.
- Measure three fingers width below your wrist.
- The pressure points for anxiety lie between the tendons.
- Apply a circular motion on this point for about four to five seconds.
Pericardium helps in:
- Anxiety.
- Insomnia.
- Nausea.
- Pain relief.
- Stomach pain.
- Headaches.
7. CONCEPTION VESSEL 17 (REN 17)
Location of Conception Vessel 17:
Conception vessel 17, also known as the ‘Chest Centre’ point, is located at the centre of the chest. The pressure points for anxiety lie at the midpoint of the nipples.
How to Apply Pressure:
- Correctly identify the point by massaging up and down the centre of the chest.
- Place your middle finger on the point.
- Start massaging the point gently, do not press too hard.
- While massaging the point, make sure to breathe in and out deeply.
Conception Vessel helps in:
- Stress.
- Anxiety.
- Reducing shortness of breath and tightening in the chest.
- Eases emotional distress.
8. SPLEEN 6 (SP 6)
Location of Spleen 6:
Commonly known as the ‘Three Yin Crossing’ point, the pressure points for anxiety are found above the ankle, on the inside of your leg.
How to Apply Pressure:
- Find the highest point of the ankle, and measure four fingers width up your leg.
- Apply pressure on the point.
- Massage the point for about four to five seconds.
- This pressure point for anxiety should not be used by pregnant women as it may induce labour.
Spleen 6 helps in:
- Menstrual problems.
- Stress.
- Digestive problems.
- Insomnia.
Key Takeaways
This article was all about the 8 effective pressure points for anxiety which one must know who is experiencing severe anxiety.
We know anxiety attacks is not at all healthy for people to experience frequently in their daily life. Thus, one must try these pressure points and get immediate relief.
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- Freud, Sigmund. “Inhibitions, symptoms and anxiety.” The Psychoanalytic Quarterly 5.1 (1936): 1-28. ↩︎
- Stein, Murray B., and Jitender Sareen. “Generalized anxiety disorder.” New England Journal of Medicine 373.21 (2015): 2059-2068. ↩︎
Last Updated on by ayeshayusuf
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