Pedro Pascal, the internet’s man of the hour, month and year, has a technique to cope with social anxiety that we should all be trying.
Pedro, 48, revealed his subtle coping mechanism in a touching moment with his The Last of Us costar Bella Ramsey, 19, on the red carpet recently.
During an event to celebrate the hugely popular apocalypse show, Pedro was holding the palm of his hand against his heart.
In a sweet video clip, Bella asks why he does that. ‘I do it, you know why?’ he responded. ‘Because I put my anxiety right here.’
The eagle eyed Pedro fans amongst us may notice that this is Pedro’s go to red carpet pose.
He can most recently be seen holding his hand against his chest while at the Met Gala earlier this week.
But you don’t need to be an A-lister at a glitzy event to use this hack – it can be a useful way to quell social anxiety in your own life, according to experts.
James Milford, head of behavioural sciences at Wellbeing Partners, delivers sessions and courses for anxiety management.
He says that while you may not be papped on the red carpet, social anxiety can still be incredibly overwhelming.
So, why is a hand on the heart so comforting? ‘Finding a way to both acknowledge the vulnerability whilst also supporting yourself through it is key – exactly what Pedro Pascal is doing here,’ Milford explains.
‘The hand over the heart is allowing the anxiety, not seeing it as an enemy to defeat, and it is also a physical manifestation of support.
‘Research into such compassionate gestures has shown that it can stimulate feelings of support, care and resilience.’
This study from 2021 found that self compassion can lower cortisol – a hormone which is heightened when we feel anxious – acting as a buffer against stress.
Just like a hug from someone else can help you feel better, compassionate gestures towards yourself can help you stay calm when social anxiety strikes.
Here are Milford’s top three ways to support yourself through social anxiety when it arises.
Grounding Object
Have an item that you can carry on your person and when you feel anxious, pick it up and play with it. Focusing the attention on the physical properties of the object helps ‘ground’ our attention in something less triggering, reducing anxiety.
Mindful Breathing
Mindful breathing simply means focusing you attention on the flow of the breath. It helps slow the ‘fight or flight’ response and boosts the soothing ‘rest and digest’ response needed to calm anxiety.
Compassionate Touch
Like Pedro’s gesture, this simple practice combines mindful breathing and grounding by placing the hand on the heart (or belly) and breathing through the anxious sensations.
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