Have you already tested a paid meditation app that promised you mounts and wonders? Me yes, because I am the man constantly stressed when there is objectively any of the fucking reason !! And then I found scientific studies which explains everything, in particular a meta-analysis published in Nature which explains that 100% of breathing techniques tested on anxious populations are effective. Oui, 100%.
The crazy thing is that it works better than classic meditation. For example, cyclical breathing focused on expiration improves mood significantly superior to mindfulness. And it’s really measurable, with P-Values and all the tralala.
So why get angry ??
So, when I came across Anxiety Aid Toolsa completely open source project which offers 8 scientifically validated techniques, I wanted to dig. No marketing bullshit, no monthly subscription at € 29.99 & mldr; Just open code and exercises that work.
The first exercise lasts 2 minutes time. It’s stupid as a thing but your parasympathetic nervous system activates direct. According to Psychiatric Times, this “bottom-up” approach bypasses cognitive treatment and uses faster ways between the cerebral trunk and emotional regulation circuits.
The 5-4-3-2-1 is a little more bizarre because it consists in finding 5 things you see, 4 that you touch, 3 that you hear, 2 that you feel, 1 that you taste. It seems simplistic but it literally short-circuits the anxious loops of the brain by forcing your attention to the immediate present.
Progressive muscle relaxation plays on a different mechanism. 8 to 12 minutes to contract and systematically release each muscle group. PMC studies show that the 12 rapid + slow interventions tested all reduce stress in a measurable way.
I also tested visualization. We are supposed to see a landscape accompanied by thoughts, but on my browser, it is not displayed. I think it’s a bug & mldr; I hope it will be quickly repaired.
There is also the “Thought Labeling” which is more subtle and will remind you a little of this story of mindfulness. With this exercise, you learn to identify your anxious thoughts as temporary mental events. It is pure cognitive behavioral therapy, but packaged in an accessible web interface.
“Stress relief bubbles”? I was skeptical but the repetitive activity to burst virtual bubbles redirect anxious energy towards a simple motor action. It is the same principle as fidget spinners, but in digital version. On the other hand, it is a bit bugged so you will have to be patient.
Finally, sound therapy uses specific frequencies for 5 to 30 minutes. Certain frequencies activate precise areas of the brain linked to relaxation. It’s not New Age, it’s neuroacoustics, friends!
Here, I told myself that I was going to share this with you, my little sting. After on GitHub, there are dozens of other projects that contribute to democratize access to mental health tools. I think for example of Ifme which allows you to share your experiences with your loved ones, or Mentally offers mood tracking with personalized exercises.
Moreover, of the 10,000 mental health apps available, only 4% have demonstrated clinical efficiency. Anxiety Aid Tools is therefore part of this minority which bases everything on scientific evidence, and not on emotional marketing. Because its physiological mechanisms are clear. These are techniques that activate your parasympathetic nervous system (Yes, this is the only “sympathetic” thing with some of you, so take care! ^^), that is to say the one who naturally against stress. With regular practice, you will then build better tolerance in CO2, conversely correlated with anxious symptoms.
The author of the project recommends starting with short exercises (2-5 minutes) when anxiety is strong, then to practice regularly even when everything is fine. It’s like sports training but for your nervous system. Note that the total absence of tracking on the site is voluntary. No personal data collected, no user profile, no push notifications to remind you of being Zen. These are just tools available when you need them. On the other hand, it is a young project so there are still small bugs to correct but as it is open source, you can contribute too. Be indulgent!
And if anxiety becomes unmanageable, the site refers to professional resources but for the Zamériloques, then I put mine for the French: Psycom, Public Health France, the National Center for Resources and Resilience (CN2R), the High Authority for Health (HAS), the national listening line 3114 (prevention of suicide) and regional psychotrauma centers.
In this noisy universe where Calm invoices € 50 per year and headspace € 90, having access to scientifically validated and completely free validated techniques is a silent revolution 🤫. The code is on Github, the studies are peer-reviewed, and it works.
So ready to test cyclic breathing for 2 minutes?
If yes, it’s here!
