If you’ve been struggling with anxiety, you’re not alone. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, an estimated 31% of all adults will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their life.
Anxiety is defined as the body’s response to worry and fear, but the reality is that it’s much more complicated than that.
Anxiety is not the same thing as having the occasional worry – like when you have to give a presentation or wait for test results. It’s a constant struggle inside your mind, where even small problems spiral out of control and every negative outcome seems possible.
When you get stuck inside “anxious brain,” you can’t focus on anything else – not school, not work, not talking with friends.
For many, this can have a devastating impact and can make it harder to leave your house, cope with stress, or even get out of bed.
On top of that, anxiety doesn’t only affect your mind. It can present in your body as stomachaches, headaches, diarrhea, itchiness, and insomnia. These challenges can cause additional worry, creating a hamster wheel effect that can compound feelings of anxiety.
If you’re on the hamster wheel, it can feel like there’s no way to get those swirling worries to stop.
But fortunately, there are simple things you can do right now to help calm your mind, soothe your worries, and take back control of your day.
5 Proven Ways to Calm Your Anxious Mind
When anxiety runs high, it can be hard to even remember that there are ways to stop the spiraling thoughts from taking over your day. Keep this list on hand so you always have reminders of the steps you can take to calm your mind and body.
1. Practice proven relaxation techniques
When you need to settle your mind quickly, any of these proven relaxation methods can get the job done. Get familiar with all of them so you can quickly turn to the technique that best fits your situation.
- Mindful meditation: Mindful meditation can help you focus your mind and regain control of your swirling thoughts. Not sure how to get started? Check out the guide to easy beginner meditation on Mindful.org
- Breathing: Taking deep, controlled breaths will have an instantly calming effect on your anxious mind. Simply pay attention to your breathing and slow it down – that’s all it takes to see results. Breathe slowly in through your nose, and then out through your mouth. (If possible, try breathing out for a longer duration than breathing in.)
- Aromatherapy: Many essential oils have proven calming effects. Inhaling specific essential oils can reduce anxiety even in the most stressful situations, as long as you use calming scents. Aromatherapy oils known for their anti-anxiety effects include lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang, and mandarin.
2. Exercise – especially outdoors
Moving your body can help calm anxiety from the outside in. Exercise helps relieve tension in your muscles, and that in turn helps calm down your nervous system. Other ways exercise helps reduce anxiety include:
- Increasing your supply of feel-good neurotransmitters (brain chemicals)
- Tapping into your endocannabinoid system, which helps calm your mind and boost your mood
- Relaxing the part of your brain (your amygdala) that reacts when you feel