Why Have My Hands Gone Numb and Tingly — A 10-Minute Meditation for Anxiety, Pins and Needles & Tingling Hands

You're sitting perfectly still and your hand doesn't feel like your own hand. There's that prickling in your fingers. A strange half-numbered feeling in the palm, so you test it. You open and close your fingers.

Press your thumb into your palm, hold your hand up and look at it. And the more you look, the stranger it feels. If you found yourself searching for pins and needles anxiety or wondering about tingling hands anxiety, stay with me. I've had it myself and I've seen it in hundreds of my patients when I was a paramedic.

Welcome. This is calming anxiety. I'm Martin. I'm a clinical hypnotherapist and before that for over 20 years, a frontline paramedic.

Today, as always now, if you don't mind, it's sponsored by Ankit, my very own app. There is nothing in Anchored that will tell you what might be wrong with you. There's no symptom list, nothing to look up, just a voice for 10 minutes, and somewhere quiet to put yourself. Anchored is on iPhone and Android, and it's free.

So pins and needles, it's a natural feeling. It's the body's response when we hyperventilate. It always resolves itself naturally. But let's take a moment now.

You're not a fault, you're not a failure. This is just a sensation. Let's ground ourselves with walking the breath. Three steps in, four steps out.

If you can, stand and walk slowly across the room along a hallway around the garden, nowhere in particular. If you'd rather stay seated or lying down, tap the count gently on your leg with your fingertips. Three taps in, four taps out. Let's begin.

Ready? Breathe in. Two, three. Out.

Two, three, four. Simple, yet so effective. Let's do another round. Ready?

Breathe in. Two, three. Breathe out. Two, three, four.

In. Two, three. Out. Two.

One. Four.

In. Two. Three. Out.

Two. Three. Four. In.

Two. Three. Out. Two.

Three. Let's do this again. Breathe in. Two, three.

Exhale. Two, three, four. Breathe in. Two, three.

Release. Two, three, four. Just let your breathing find its own rhythm again. This next round, no counting from me, just your own steps, your own breath, nowhere to be, or if you're sitting or lying, just tap as you breathe with your leg, off you go.

And another round, one more.

Now just stay there, balanced and centered. And understand, the jobs I like the most as a paramedic, we're helping those with panic attacks, with hyperventilation because it empowered the patient, not just then, but for the rest of their lives to learn that they ultimately have the control. And I'll say this, I still get those initial feelings of panic, of fear, no matter where I am, but I control them now. It's just the way we are.

We're not broken, we're simply unique, so don't speak negatively to yourself.

And also, sometimes this tingling, it takes a while, adrenaline has a half life, so let yourself have time to recover. Now imagine that warm golden light, like late sunshine through a window, pooling. And in the center of your chest, with every slow breath out, allow it to spread down the shoulders, along the arms and into the wrists, and then flow to the tips of every finger.

Then say these words with me inwardly, see them in your thoughts as you hear them, and allow them to find their place in your soul. My hands are safe. Pins and needles are a sensation, they are not a verdict.

I can feel the tingling hands and still be perfectly well.

I do not have to watch my body to keep it working.

My body is not sending me a warning, it is simply sending me a sensation.

I can let this pass without looking anything up.

I am not the fear about my hands, I am the one noticing it.

I am here, I am safe, and there is nothing to fear right now.

Now feel the rhythmic rise and fall once more with your thoughts. Take note of how your ribcage rises expands, the shifting sensations. Be aware of that pause between the in and the out breath, and then as you exhale, let that stress pose feels just drift away with every out breath.

Deeper and deeper into a mindful natural translike state, because simply put my friend, you are worthy. On the next few out breath, just smile, truly feel the difference a smile makes, even if you are sad, fearful, just smile. The body understands the emotion, the power those small muscles make. Try it, practice it, make it part of all that you are.

To keep this sense of balance and understanding and control, here are your three daily caring tips. One, the next time your hands go tingly, stand up and walk to the end of the room and back before you do anything else. Two first, think second, two, if you've already looked this sensation at once today, that's enough. Put the phone face down for ten minutes and let the ten minutes pass without it.

Three, once today, say out loud exactly what is true and nothing more, my hands are tingling, not something is wrong. Just the sensation, named as a sensation. Now let's come back gently. Let the breath deepen a little, wiggle the fingers and toes, all ten of them slowly, there they are.

Now feel whatever is underneath you, taking your weight and let it take all of you. Breathe in, hold, exhale, roll the shoulders. Stretch out the arms and when you're ready my friend, open your eyes and come back into the room. Thank you for looking after you.

Panic attacks, hyperventilation, they can feel like they're destroying us, but they pass, they always do, as unpleasant as they are. You can learn to control them, I believe in you. If today landed somewhere true, anchored is there whenever the sensation comes back. At the beginning of the app, there's the blue button, instant calm.

Even on the free plan, it works as many times as you want, even without a signal. I built it into the code, just for moments like this. Try it, it's all my experience. Just like having a squeeze on the shoulder from a dear friend.

Take care. Please share this with a friend, a colleague, a loved one, if you think it will help them as well. And if I could ask one more favor, it's free just a minute of your time. Please do leave a review, either Apple Spotify or even better, on the App Store or Play Store for the app, anchored.

Thank you. Now, have a lovely day, go on, enjoy yourself. Take care, you've got this. Come back tomorrow and remember, be kind.