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Blow Anxiety Away on a Bubble

Anxiety can be beastly. It can take hold of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Anxiety seems to take control of our physical body, too. How on Earth do we combat such a beast? How about with bubbles?

Tricks for Anxiety-Reduction

There are many, many different tricks and techniques for showing the beast just who’s boss. (It’s you, by the way, not the anxiety beast. When anxiety tells you it’s the boss of you, it's just putting on a conceited front. Anxiety isn't the boss of you.)

Anxiety can be intense, and we want to get rid of it. One way to do so is by blowing bubbles. There are benefits to bubble-blowing that help anxiety reduction.In this video series, I've begun sharing one specific anxiety-beating tip at a time. The effectiveness of each one is supported by research, by reports of therapists who use them, and even by me, both as a counselor and a client. They’re not quick fixes, but they are designed to help soothe anxiety in a given moment, and when used over time, can be very effective in reducing anxiety overall. Everyone is different, so not everyone will get the same anxiety-reducing benefits from every technique. The best thing to do is try something, give it a chance to work, and either keep it or move on to something different. Build a toolbox full of tricks for taming the anxiety beast within.

Last time, I talked about putting anxiety in a box. This month, I have a very powerful weapon for you to put in your toolbox: a jar of bubbles!

Yes, bubbles. They truly are a match for anxiety and an effective method to blow it away. Tune into the video for information.

Connect with Tanya on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, LinkedIn, her books, and her website.

APA Reference
Peterson, T. (2014, September 25). Blow Anxiety Away on a Bubble, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 12 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-schmanxiety/2014/09/blow-anxiety-away-on-a-bubble



Author: Tanya J. Peterson, MS, NCC, DAIS

Tanya J. Peterson is the author of numerous anxiety self-help books, including The Morning Magic 5-Minute Journal, The Mindful Path Through Anxiety, 101 Ways to Help Stop Anxiety, The 5-Minute Anxiety Relief Journal, The Mindfulness Journal for Anxiety, The Mindfulness Workbook for Anxiety, and Break Free: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 3 Steps. She has also written five critically acclaimed, award-winning novels about life with mental health challenges. She delivers workshops for all ages and provides online and in-person mental health education for youth. She has shared information about creating a quality life on podcasts, summits, print and online interviews and articles, and at speaking events. Tanya is a Diplomate of the American Institution of Stress helping to educate others about stress and provide useful tools for handling it well in order to live a healthy and vibrant life. Find her on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Carol Strause
April, 30 2018 at 8:34 am

Hello: I know that blowing bubbles is a happy thing to do.
I just played with some a few days ago with my dog.
Now I can understand more about why they're therapeutic and
the Colors Everyone! All those Rainbow Colors!
That's a Big part of the Visual Therapy for Me.

Sam
February, 17 2016 at 12:52 pm

I'm currently an engineering student at the University of Illinois. I'm working on an initiative with the College sharing bubbles with students as a stress-management tool. You said that there research backing its effectiveness, but in my personal searching I haven't found any rigorous studies in peer-reviewed literature. Could you please direct me towards any that you are aware of?
Kind regards,
Sam

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

February, 19 2016 at 11:46 am

Hello Sam,
Check literature specific to play therapy (which can be used with all ages, including adults). I've read peer reviewed journal articles about bubbles, and there are often references in textbooks or edited collections of articles. Also check research regarding deep breathing in general, as bubbles encourage correct deep breathing techniques. Even if you don't find an article specific to bubble-blowing, the breathing research does apply. Another avenue to try is looking at the importance of play/lightheartedness to mental health. Bubbles not only encourage deep breathing and reap the benefits of that, but they introduce an element of fun. I hope these ideas are helpful!

halmat
September, 25 2014 at 12:53 am

I remember once trying to fill my room with bubbles as diversion from panic attacks. It was fun hearing your techniques; good work. I recovered from agoraphobia many years ago and have a website devoted to recovery from panic disorder; and my book Un-Agoraphobic coming out Oct. 1, amazon, book stores etc.Hal Mathew

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

September, 25 2014 at 11:07 pm

Hi halmat,
I love the image of filling a room with bubbles as a diversion from panic attacks! That is fantastic! Congratulations on overcoming agoraphobia. It's entirely possible (you're proof of that), but it's not easy. Congratulations, too, on writing a book and sharing your experiences. Writing is powerful. I write books about anxiety and other mental illnesses too, but mine are realistic fiction. Best of luck to you!

Jill Burns
March, 3 2016 at 5:59 am

Are there any great book that you can recommend for anxiety? Inwouldnlive to read. I am 38yo and have 3 young kids. I sways seem to have a low grade of anxiety! Would love to read and learn about it more to find techniques.

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

March, 3 2016 at 12:25 pm

Hello Jill,
You are doing something mental health professionals highly recommend -- seeking out information and reading about what is affecting you. It's called bibliotherapy. Just being interested and willing to read about anxiety puts you on the road to overcoming it.
One book that comes to mind is Maximum Mental Health: Overcome Depression, Anxiety and other Mental Illnesses with 20 Principles for Happier and Healthier Living (Mental Health & Happiness ... Depression and Anxiety Treatment Book 1) by Aleks George Srbinoski. This is informative, interactive, and truly helpful with practical techniques.
There are many other books available as well. A trip to the library or a search on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. will reveal a lot. Think of your own needs and beliefs to guide you on the search. Are you interested in holistic, natural healing? Traditional medication? Do you want to explore possible causes of anxiety? Or is the cause not important to you? Does anxiety affect your thoughts, or does it affect your emotions or your behavior or all three or just some? As you can see, there's a lot to anxiety, and there are books that address every aspect of it. There are also memoirs where people share their own accounts of anxiety (Scott Stossel's My Age of Anxiety is quite interesting), and there are fiction books that show what anxiety is like to live with. Perhaps begin with Maximum Mental Health (or something similar) to discover more about your own anxiety and desires, and then branch out from there. Reading about anxiety truly is a great way to overcome it.

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