Anxiety is a normal human emotion. But sometimes it can prevent us from becoming who we want to be. Here are five suggestions that you can apply to naturally calm anxiety symptoms:
Tip #1: Mentally Scan Your Body
Tip #1: Mentally Scan Your Body
The first step is to identify what anxiety looks like for you. Anxiety will usually manifest itself physically. This is worth repeating. The experience of anxiety isn’t just about what’s happening in your head. It’s about what is coming up for you in your body. Try and be observant to what anxiety feels like in your body.
The physical sensation of anxiety comes from a nervous system kicked into high gear¹. This typically results from the mind being preoccupied with a perceived future threat². When we know what anxiety looks like – physically speaking – we can then take steps to calm the nervous system.
Tip #2: Pause for a Moment and Breathe
Tip #2: Pause for a Moment and Breathe
The second tip is to take a moment to practice deep breathing. I know it sounds overly simplistic, but when we practice deep breathing, we send signals to the brain that the body is safe³. In short we are engaging our body to help calm the mind. It’s not unlike meditating.
Try inhaling (4 seconds), holding the breath (4 seconds), and exhaling (6 seconds). Research indicates that a long-term practice of breathwork for 5+ minutes at a time is ideal⁴. If sometimes I’m feeling anxious or nervous about a meeting, I’ll often set aside time right before just to breathe⁵.
Tip #3: Learn to Accept the Anxiety
Tip #3: Learn to Accept the Anxiety
Third tip. Again, anxiety is a normal human emotion. It’s OK to feel anxious sometimes. Strangely enough, when we hide from the anxiety, bury it, or try to ignore it, it can get worse.
Rather than wondering how to get rid of the anxiety, a more productive question might be, ‘what can I learn about myself from the anxiety I'm experiencing now?’
Sometimes we’re worried about what others think of us. Sometimes we’re paralyzed by a fear of failure. Sometimes, we have no idea why we’re feeling anxious. And that’s ok.
I see the anxiety — or really any strong emotion inconsistent with my sense of self — as a window into the black box that is my mind. Such emotions allow me a glimpse into the areas of my life where I could direct some attention. Carl Jung, a famous psychoanalyst and psychiatrist sums it up better than I could.
Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.
-Carl Jung
Part of the work of being in therapy/counseling includes making the unconscious conscious. It’s about figuring out how to live better lives. Learn to accept the feeling of anxiety and use it as an opportunity to learn about yourself. It could be a blessing in disguise.
One more point here. I believe it’s also important to distinguish yourself from the emotion. For example, rather than saying, ‘I’m anxious’, we might more accurately say, ‘I’m experiencing anxiety’. The distinction is important because we don’t want to conflate the feeling with the identity. Anxiety is not your identity, nor should it define you.
Tip #4: Challenge Your Thoughts
Tip #4: Challenge Your Thoughts
I know from experience that anxiety compounds with unhelpful or irrational thoughts. One helpful way to address anxiety is to learn how to pause and evaluate unhelpful thoughts before the mind has a chance to ruminate on them. This approach is rooted in evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)⁶.
For example, if I’m feeling anxious about a social event, I might try and evaluate some unhelpful thoughts contributing to that anxiety. Perhaps I’m thinking, ‘I won’t make any friends’, or ‘no one will like me there’. These thoughts are not helpful – they are based on feelings, not facts. With CBT, we learn to identify those thoughts and replace them with something more realistic.
In this case, a more helpful thought might be ‘I don’t know the future, but I hope to make some friends even though I’m feeling nervous now.’ As the mind begins to take hold of more realistic thoughts, feelings of anxiety may begin to fade over time. In my opinion, CBT works best when practiced regularly and paired with other therapeutic approaches that get to the root of why those thoughts are occurring in the first place.
Tip #5: Avoid Substances
Tip #5: Avoid Substances
Sometimes, substances can actually be anxiety-inducing. Research indicates that consuming caffeine⁷, alcohol⁸ and cigarettes⁹ can provoke, induce, or aggravate anxiety symptoms. Moreover, what starts as a way to numb the anxiety can quickly turn into an addiction. Last tip: I’d suggest avoiding these substances if you can.
In the same vein, do your best to take care of your body. It’s not enough to just avoid things that are potentially harmful. Rather proactively prioritize your health. I’m talking about proper sleep, diet, and regular exercise. Exercise may be particularly suited to helping relieve anxiety¹⁰. If ever I’m feeling a bit anxious, going on a run with my dog can help take the edge off.
Do I Need Professional Help?
Do I Need Professional Help?
The tips listed above are things you can do at home to help calm your anxiety naturally. They’re things that I regularly incorporate into my own life as a counselor. A little bit of anxiety is normal, but sometimes more help is needed. It might be a good idea to talk to a mental health professional if...
- the anxiety is more severe,
- you’re constantly getting anxious,
- getting panic attacks,
- or the anxiety is significantly impacting your daily life.
It can be nerve-wrecking to reach out for help. But in my opinion, it’s certainly worth it. Sometimes there are underlying issues relating to arousal or past traumas – something that can certainly be addressed in a professional setting. Either way, now you have a few tips to try out next time you’re feeling a little anxious. They tend to work for me, and I hope they can work for you too.
- Harvard Health. (2020, August 1). Recognizing and easing the physical symptoms of anxiety. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/recognizing-and-easing-the-physical-symptoms-of-anxiety
Grupe, D. W., & Nitschke, J. B. (2013). Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 14(7), 488–501. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3524
- NICABM. (2022, September 2). Stephen Porges, PhD on Helping clients Regulate Distressing Emotions [Video]. YouTube.
- Bentley, T. G. K., D'Andrea-Penna, G., Rakic, M., Arce, N., LaFaille, M., Berman, R., Cooley, K., & Sprimont, P. (2023). Breathing Practices for Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Conceptual Framework of Implementation Guidelines Based on a Systematic Review of the Published Literature. Brain sciences, 13(12), 1612. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13121612
- Apart from deep breathing, there are many other techniques to help calm the nervous system. You might also try a progressive muscle relaxation exercise. These sorts of exercises will help you get out of your head and back in touch with your body.
- What is CBT? | Beck Institute Cares. (2023, May 9). Beck Institute Cares. https://cares.beckinstitute.org/about-cbt/
- Fletcher, J. (2022, March 24). How Anxiety and Alcohol Feed into Each Other. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/anxiety/anxiety-and-alcohol
- Moylan, S., Jacka, F. N., Pasco, J. A., & Berk, M. (2013). How cigarette smoking may increase the risk of anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders: a critical review of biological pathways. Brain and behavior, 3(3), 302–326. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.137