Feeling anxious is a signal from your body asking you to pause, breathe, and reconnect.
Here’s a simple 5-step exercise to lower anxiety and bring yourself back to calm:
🌿 1. Pause and name it.
Acknowledge what you’re feeling. Saying, “I’m feeling anxious,” helps your brain start to regulate.
🌬️ 2. Breathe deeply.
Use the 4-7-8 method — inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Just a few rounds can reset your nervous system.
👁️ 3. Ground yourself.
Notice what you can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. Sensory awareness brings you back to the present.
🤲 4. Release the body.
Drop your shoulders, unclench your jaw, stretch gently. Your body tells your mind when it’s safe to relax.
💭 5. Reframe your thoughts.
Ask: What’s real right now? What can I control? What’s one small thing I can do next?
Anxiety loses power when you respond with awareness instead of resistance.