Exercises To Calm Your Anxious Thoughts
Anxiety can make your mind feel noisy, fast, and hard to control. When your thoughts start spiralling — What if this happens? What if I can’t cope? Why can’t I stop thinking? — it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
The good news is that you can train your mind and body to interrupt this cycle.
Below are simple, scientifically supported exercises to help calm anxious thoughts and settle your nervous system. Most take less than two minutes and can be done anywhere.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding (For Racing Thoughts)
This exercise helps pull your attention out of your thoughts and back into the present moment.
Name:
5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
Why it works:
Anxiety pulls you into the future. Grounding pulls you back into your body and surroundings, reducing mental overwhelm quickly.
Box Breathing (For Panic or Tight Chest)
Used by military, first responders, and trauma therapists, this breath pattern slows the stress response.
Try this:
Breathe in for 4
Hold for 4
Exhale for 4
Hold for 4
Repeat 4–6 rounds.
Why it works:
The slow exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system — your body’s built-in “calm down” switch.
The "Name the Story" Technique (For Catastrophising)
When you notice your mind jumping to worst-case scenarios, try simply labelling what’s happening.
Say to yourself:
“Ah, I’m telling the catastrophe story.”
“This is the failure story again.”
“My brain is running the what if script.”
Why it works:
Naming the pattern creates distance between you and your thoughts, reducing their emotional intensity.
Temperature Shift (For Sudden Overwhelm)
This method uses a quick physical reset to interrupt spiralling thoughts.
Try:
Splashing cool water on your face
Holding a cold drink
Standing near a fresh breeze or open window
Why it works:
Cool temperatures stimulate the dive reflex — a natural calming response that slows heart rate and reduces fight-or-flight activation.
The 10% Slower Exercise (For Tight, Overactive Mind)
Sit quietly and try slowing your movements and breath by just 10%.
Move your hands slower.
Turn your head slower.
Breathe slightly slower.
Why it works:
Your mind matches your body speed.
Slowing physical movement signals to your brain that you are safe.
Ask Yourself One Grounding Question (For Mental Noise)
When thoughts feel loud or chaotic, ask:
“Is this happening right now, or is this a fear about later?”
Why it works:
It gently separates real-time problems from future fears and reduces the sense of immediate danger.
The Anchor Word Technique (For Intrusive Thoughts)
Choose a word that helps you feel calm:
“Here.”
“Steady.”
“Breathe.”
“Safe.”
Every time your thoughts start spiralling, say the word quietly to yourself (or in your mind) as you breathe.
Why it works:
It gives your mind one simple point of focus, interrupting spirals with a grounding cue.
The 60-Second Body Scan (For Physical Anxiety Symptoms)
Close your eyes and scan from head to toe, noticing:
tightness
warmth
heaviness
tingling
restlessness
No need to change anything — just notice.
Why it works:
Anxiety is both mental and physical.
When the body feels acknowledged, the mind often settles.
EFT Tapping (For Persistent Worry)
Tap gently on the “karate chop” point (side of your hand) while saying:
“Even though I feel anxious right now, I’m doing the best I can.”
Then tap through the eyebrow, side eye, under eye, under nose, chin, collarbone and underarm points while breathing slowly.
Why it works:
Research shows tapping helps regulate the amygdala (the brain’s fear centre) and reduces anxiety intensity.
The “One Tiny Task” Method (For Overthinking + Avoidance)
When your mind is spiralling because you feel overwhelmed, choose one very small action:
drink a glass of water
send one email
stand up and stretch
tidy one surface
take one slow breath
Why it works:
Completing a tiny task interrupts cognitive overload and gives your brain a sense of control.
When to Seek Extra Support
If anxiety is:
constant
disrupting sleep
affecting relationships
making it hard to work
causing physical symptoms
leading to avoidance or shutdown
…you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Therapy can help you understand the root of your anxiety, work with your nervous system, and develop strategies that actually fit your life — not generic one-size-fits-all advice.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to stop anxious thoughts completely.
You just need tools that help you soften them, slow them, and eventually retrain the patterns your mind has learned over time.
Try one or two of these exercises today.
Small steps make a big difference.
