A pounding heartbeat after having to slam on your brakes or shallow breathing before your big work presentation – we’ve all been there. In small doses, anxiety can be helpful. It keeps us sharp on the road to avoid dangerous situations, or it can give us the good kind of nerves that help us focus.
But what about when anxiety becomes a constant hum in the background? Or when it keeps showing up right when you’re about to drift off to sleep? It can leave you feeling like a passenger in your own body – helpless, exhausted, and out of control. With so much uncertainty in the world at the moment, it’s no surprise that anxiety is showing up more intensely for many of us.
The good news is, there are ways to manage your anxiety without letting it take charge.
Even when you can’t control what’s making you anxious, you can learn to respond in a way that makes you feel more grounded, safer, and at peace.
We’ll share some easy body-based practices you can start doing to ease your mind, regulate your nervous system, and feel confident that you’ve got the mental health tools you need to support yourself in those tough moments.
This is part of a series on managing feelings of hopelessness. Find the other articles linked below:
Feeling Hopeless? How to Manage Anxiety: Mind Edition
Connecting with Others When You Feel Helpless
Finding the Good When You Feel Hopeless
Understanding how anxiety affects your body
The mind-body connection is a funny thing. Our body often shows physical symptoms before our brain even understands what’s going on. Maybe your shoulders are tensed up as you’re reading this, or your jaw is clenched. Sometimes, we only notice these things when we make a conscious effort to check in with ourselves.
This physical-first response is our nervous system’s way of saying “react first, think later.” That’s why anxious feelings can often be confusing and seemingly come out of nowhere. It’s how we’re wired.
If you’re feeling anxious or living with a mental health condition like generalized anxiety disorder, the intensity of these physical sensations can be overwhelming. And it can be a vicious cycle: anxiety can raise your blood pressure, make it difficult to sleep, and cause digestion issues – which can in turn make it harder for you to cope with stress, leaving you feeling more anxious.
Grounding techniques can help you get through those moments and bring you back to the present.
Before we get into how you can cope with your anxiety, let’s go through some things that you might not realize may actually make it worse.
What not to do when you’re feeling anxious
Here are a few coping strategies that might seem useful in the moment, but can worsen your symptoms over time:
Avoiding situations that trigger anxiety
It’s completely natural to want to avoid people, places, and scenarios you associate with bad experiences. But this avoidance can actually reinforce the anxiety, making it harder to move past it. Instead, try taking small steps to reintroduce yourself to those situations. Over time, you’ll teach your brain that you’re safe, and that there’s nothing to be afraid of.
Turning to our phone
Our phones have become like an extra limb. They’re always nearby and are often the first place we turn to, looking for short-term relief when we want to distract ourselves from our emotions.
The key is to feel the feeling and let it pass. The next time you find yourself doom-scrolling, set a strict time limit, or put your phone down and take some deep breaths.
Relying on substances
Alcohol or drugs might seem like a quick fix, but they do more harm than good in the long run. In fact, substance use is a big risk factor for worsening anxiety and other mental disorders.
Related: Healthy ways to cope when life is difficult
When you get that urge to turn to alcohol or other substances for comfort, try to take a second and check in with yourself. Name what you’re feeling. Is it loneliness? Exhaustion? Stress? Then, consider going for a walk, calling a friend, or doing an easy 5-minute meditation.
Grounding techniques for anxiety
When common symptoms of anxiety start creeping in – a tight chest, shallow breathing, or that knot in your stomach – grounding techniques can stop things from spinning out of control.
Here are a few ways you can reconnect with your body, calm your racing thoughts, and stay grounded in the present moment.
The 5-4-3-2-1 method
You can do this anywhere, anytime. And it’s super simple: name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. When your thoughts are racing toward panic, it’s a way to redirect your attention, engaging all 5 of your senses to re-center yourself in your body.
Deep breathing
Deep breathing reconnects you with your body and calms your nervous system. If you can, find yourself somewhere quiet and close your eyes for a moment. Slowly breathe in for 5 seconds, hold it for 5 seconds, and then exhale for 5 seconds. As you inhale, imagine your lungs filling with air, and then on the exhale, focus on releasing that breath entirely.
Feel your feet
Whether you’re sitting down or standing, really focus on feeling the ground under your feet and the weight of your body being supported. This mindfulness exercise brings your awareness to something tangible, interrupting the stream of anxious thoughts before they spiral out of control.
How to use movement to ease anxious feelings
While regular exercise has been proven to help keep excessive anxiety at bay, you don’t need to run a marathon or pick up a gym membership to feel the benefits. Movement can be simple and intuitive.
A few easy ways to bring movement into your day:
- Stretch slowly and mindfully
- Go for a relaxed walk
- Put on some music and dance while you’re cooking dinner
- Let yourself fidget
- Stand up and shake out your arms and legs
- Tidy up your space
Even a few minutes of getting out of your head and into your body can make a big difference the next time you’re feeling a little on edge.
How to know when you need professional help
If you’ve tried these techniques and you’re still struggling, consider reaching out to a mental health professional.
There’s absolutely no shame in getting extra support. Talk therapy is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety. Working with a professional like a therapist or counselor can give you the tools you need to recognize and understand your triggers, process your feelings, and manage your anxiety. Bit by bit, you’ll be able to feel more in control.
The Western Tidewater Community Services Board (WTCSB) team is here when you need a helping hand. We offer a range of services, including mental health support, substance abuse treatment, and crisis services in Suffolk, Franklin, Southampton County, and Isle of Wight County.
Reach out today and get the care you need. For immediate assistance, call our 24-hour emergency line at (757) 925-2484.
