Simple practices to help quiet your mind and find your center.
Anxiety often feels like a runaway train of thoughts you can’t slow down. It shows up in tight shoulders, racing heartbeats, shallow breaths, and an overwhelming sense of “what if?”
While anxiety is a natural part of life, you don’t have to let it control you. The next time you feel anxious thoughts creeping in, try one of these calming exercises. They’re simple, accessible, and proven to help bring the mind and body back into balance.
1. Box Breathing (Four-Square Breathing)
This powerful, Navy SEAL-endorsed technique helps regulate the nervous system.
How to do it:
- Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
- Hold the breath for 4 seconds
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds
- Hold again for 4 seconds
Repeat for 3–5 minutes.
Why it works: It lowers cortisol (stress hormone), slows your heart rate, and shifts your focus to the present.
2. The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
When anxious thoughts spiral, come back to your senses—literally.
Name:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can feel
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
Why it works: It distracts the brain from fear-based loops and anchors you in reality.
3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Tension and anxiety often go hand in hand. This method releases physical stress to calm the mind.
How to do it:
- Starting at your feet, slowly tense a muscle group as you inhale
- Hold for 5 seconds
- Release as you exhale
- Move upward through your body: calves, thighs, abdomen, arms, shoulders, face
Why it works: It builds awareness of where you hold tension and teaches your body how to release it.
4. Journaling “Worry to Clarity”
Put your thoughts on paper and take away their power.
Try this prompt:
- What am I anxious about?
- What evidence supports this thought?
- What is the most likely outcome—not the worst?
- What can I do in the next 10 minutes to feel more in control?
Why it works: Writing slows down thought patterns and engages the logical part of your brain.
5. Mindful Movement
You don’t have to “work out” to calm down. Gentle movement helps release anxious energy.
Options include:
- A short walk outdoors
- Simple yoga poses (child’s pose, forward fold, legs up the wall)
- Stretching with deep breathing
- What can I do in the next 10 minutes to feel more in control?
Why it works: Movement helps metabolize stress hormones and re-engages your body in a positive way.
6. Name It to Tame It
Label the emotion you’re feeling: “This is anxiety,” “This is overwhelm,” “This is uncertainty.”
Why it works: Neuroscience shows that naming an emotion reduces its intensity. It creates space between you and the feeling.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to “fix” anxiety in one moment. The goal is not perfection—it’s presence. Every time you choose to pause, breathe, or ground yourself, you’re sending a powerful signal to your brain: I am safe. I am in control. I am okay.
Anxiety may visit—but with the right tools, it doesn’t have to stay