Concepts are that bridge that we build between reality and our mind. Anxiety, for example, is an emotion that arises from our contact with the world. But it is also a concept that defines a psychic state and can be understood or used by science. From this sense, psychology helps us understand how to relieve anxiety and other sensations of the mind.
Meditation may be very effective in calming the anxious state of mind and body. However, nutritional psychiatry also has something to offer and it seems that the secret is in an ice cube.
Via Medical News Today
How to relieve anxiety?
According to nutritional psychiatrist Uma Naidoo and author of the book This Is Your Brain on Food, sucking on a piece of ice can help control anxiety. But how exactly does ice help the mind?
According to Naidoo there are two main ways an ice cube can help relieve anxiety. The first is that sucking on ice does not lend itself as much to anxious thoughts, as the brain shifts attention to the refreshing sensation of the mouth.
This is because the amygdala is in charge of emotional processing, including anxiety, so reducing activity in this region inevitably lowers the feeling of anxiety.
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On the other hand, the second effect is the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. In anxiety, the brain tends to have a negativity bias, which causes people to always be on the lookout for a threat.
The opposite of this fighting attention response is rest and digest, which is activated by the parasympathetic nervous system. By sucking on the ice cube, saliva production increases and the function of the nervous system is activated, causing a distraction for an anxiety crisis.
When is it good to use the ice cube trick?
Although the ice cube can be a great ally to relieve anxiety, in some cases it is not recommended. For example, in certain heart conditions the cold of the bucket can cause shock to the body system.
Additionally, it is always best to allow the ice to melt in your mouth and not chew it. Excessive intake of ice can harm dental health, in addition to causing some frostbite effect on the head.
An additional tip is to add chamomile to the ice cubes, so that we have a two-in-one calming effect; The cold calms the mind and the chamomile calms the rest of the body.
Jorm S.