Acupressure Pressure Points for Anxiety Relief

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Many of us have at some point in our lives experienced a terrible feeling when we can’t tackle the situation of anxiousness and stress in particular. It is not unusual to concern yourself with certain things that cause you to feel worried about the routine course of life. An important event of your life like buying a house or having a child; deadline pressures at work, poor financial condition or health issues, all such situations are bound to cause panic to any person. However, it’s crucial to find relief and acupressure can help.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a state of distress, uneasiness, fear and apprehension that requires proper medical attention. It generally happens naturally, but some people experience it more than others.

Anxiety has a bunch of symptoms. Here are a few it can hit you with:

  • Panic
  • A state of worry or restlessness
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Digestive disorder
  • Discomfort in muscles
  • Lack of focus
  • Irritability

If ignored for long, the symptoms mentioned above of anxiety and stress can start taking control of your emotions, distort your focus and impede your social life. Some people try to get away with symptoms of anxiety through evil mechanisms like tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy food or drugs. These dangerous means may seem to function in the short-term but can have catastrophic health effects in the long run.

There are many beneficial approaches to address the underlying symptoms of anxiety. Specific therapies, medication, workout, proper nutrition can help a patient suffering from an anxiety disorder. There are many alternative methods of treating anxiety as well such as acupressure. Let us find out how it helps in getting rid of anxiety properly.

What is Acupressure?

Acupressure is an ancient practice, with roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine that involves using pressure points in your body to treat specific ailments, joint pains, and other medical conditions.

According to traditional Chinese medical theory, there are specific acupressure points that are present along the 12 meridians or channels in our body. Vital energy referred to as ‘life force’ flows through these channels. These meridians form a bridge in our body connecting specific organs, creating a communication network.

The meridians start at your fingertips and lead to the brain plus further connect with your organs. Each meridian that is associated with a specific organ when it gets blocked can lead to illness (as specified by this theory). Acupressure thus helps in treating the condition and restoring the balance of the body by putting pressure on the blocked points.

6 Pressure Points for Anxiety Relief

Some of the pressure points that can help in relieving you from symptoms of anxiety are –

1. Chest Centre

Lying at the middle of your breastbone is the first acupressure point which is popularly known as chest center. Steps to apply acupressure at this point are as follow:

  • Close your eyes and try to blank your mind from any thoughts
  • Touch your bone base with three fingers
  • Start applying gentle and consistent pressure at the center of your breastbone
  • Take deep breaths
  • Feel the tension releasing from your mind

2. Hall of Impression or The Third Eye

This point exists between your eyebrows. More precisely, it lies right in the middle of your forehead and the nose bridge. Applying pressure at the third eye can relieve you from stress and anxiety. Steps to apply acupressure at this point are:

  • Shut your eyes and try to empty your mind
  • Touch this point with two fingers
  • Start applying gentle and steady pressure to the point
  • Breathe deeply and try to focus on alleviating any negative emotions from your subconscious

3. Shoulder Well

This point lies on your shoulder muscles, halfway between your neck’s base and the end of the shoulder muscle. This pressure point is known to relieve you from tension, headaches and back pain. It is also said to induce labor, and thus should be avoided by pregnant women. Steps to apply acupressure at this point:

  • Close your eyes and find the location
  • Pinch at the spot with your thumb and middle finger
  • Release the pinch
  • Massage the point using your index finger for five to six seconds

4. Inner Frontier Gate

This point is three fingers below your wrist crease. Applying pressure to the spot can help in relieving anxiety, nausea, insomnia, and irritability. This pressure can also be helpful for a person suffering from motion sickness. Steps to apply acupressure at this point include:

  • Raise one hand so that your palm faces upwards
  • Find the point by measuring three fingers below your wrist, in the hollow between tendons
  • Massage the point using your index finger for five to six seconds

5. Union Valley

This pressure point lies in the webbing area between your index finger and thumb. Stimulating the union valley point can help combat anxiety, stiffness in the neck and shoulder region and cure headaches. Steps to apply acupressure at this point include:

  • Hold your webbing with thumb and middle finger
  • Start applying gentle pressure to the finger webbing
  • Massage the location for four to five seconds, before moving to the next spot

6. Heavenly Gate

This point lies in the upper shell region of your ear. Applying pressure here can significantly help with distress and anxiety. Steps to apply acupressure at this point are:

  • Find the location at the tip of the hollow in the upper shell inside your ear
  • Start applying gentle pressure to the point
  • Take deep breaths
  • Massage the point for 1-2 minutes, before moving to the next position

Ease Your Anxiety with Acupressure

Your anxiety can be a result of some past trauma, relationship problems, career struggles or simply exam stress. It hits different people with different intensity, and in some cases, it can interfere with your routine activities like work, college, and relationships.

Acupressure has shown considerable improvement in many patients suffering from high blood pressure, menstrual discomforts, digestion problems, nausea, and insomnia. But there is not much evidence of acupressure curing patients suffering from long-term anxiety. Therefore, one must not rely on acupressure alone for the treatment of any medical condition. In most cases, it is used to complement standard medical procedures.

You must consult a specialist when the symptoms of anxiety become more severe and practicing acupressure fails to provide any relief. Still, studies have not found any adverse effects of acupressure. It may be worth a shot if you are searching for alternative approaches to your condition.