Anxiety can show up in different ways. Your thoughts might start racing. Your heart might beat faster. You might feel restless, tense, shaky, nauseated, or find yourself scanning for signs that something is wrong.
And when anxiety shows up, it’s easy to find yourself focused on one question: How do I make this stop?
Sometimes, trying to settle your body or redirect your attention can help. But coping with anxiety doesn't always mean getting rid of it. Sometimes, it means lowering the intensity enough to think more clearly or decide what you need. Other times, it means recognizing that anxiety is there and taking the next step anyway.
There isn't one strategy that works for every person or every anxious moment. But here are a few things you can experiment with.
Slow your breathing
When people are anxious, they're often told to take a deep breath. But trying to take very large breaths isn't necessarily helpful, and for some people, it can actually feel uncomfortable.
Instead, try breathing gently and letting your exhale last a little longer than your inhale.
If having a rhythm to follow is helpful, you might try breathing in through your nose for a count of 5. Then, exhale through your mouth for a count of 6 or 7. Try imagining that you're blowing out through a drinking straw on the exhale.
The exact numbers aren't important. The idea is to let the exhale be slightly longer than the inhale. If counting makes you feel like you're more focused on doing it right, skip the counting. A gentle breath in and a slower breath out is enough.
The goal isn't to breathe correctly. It's to see whether slowing things down a little helps your body begin to settle.
Notice what's around you
Anxiety has a way of pulling attention toward possible threats, uncomfortable sensations, or thoughts about what might happen next. Sometimes, deliberately noticing what's happening around you can help bring some of your attention back to where you are right now.
You can keep this very simple. Look around and notice a few things you can see. Listen for sounds nearby or farther away. Notice where your feet meet the floor, where your body is supported by a chair or bed, or the temperature of the air against your skin.
If you prefer something more structured, you can try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise:
Notice 5 things you can see.
Notice 4 things you can feel.
Notice 3 things you can hear.
Notice 2 things you can smell.
Notice 1 thing you can taste.
You don't have to find the “perfect” five things, complete every step, or feel calmer by the time you reach one. The numbers can give you some structure for bringing your attention back to what's around you.
And if counting through a grounding exercise feels tedious, frustrating, or isn't helpful for you, you don't have to use it. Looking around the room, noticing where you are, and taking in a few details can be enough.
Name what's happening
When anxiety is intense, thoughts like: Something is wrong, I can't handle this, or I need this feeling to stop can arrive very quickly.
Try naming what you're noticing, such as:
I'm noticing anxiety right now.
My mind is coming up with a lot of “what if” thoughts.
I'm noticing the urge to get away from this.
That doesn't mean dismissing the feeling or convincing yourself that everything is fine. You're not arguing with the anxiety; you're just noticing it.
That small shift in language can make it a little easier to notice the anxiety without becoming completely caught up in it.
Move your body
Anxiety isn't only something we experience in our thoughts. It can also come with physical tension, restlessness, shakiness, or a strong urge to move.
If your body feels tense, nervous, worked up, or on edge, try movement to give some of that energy somewhere to go.
Depending on what feels comfortable and accessible to you, movement might mean walking around the room, stretching your shoulders and neck, shaking out your hands, changing positions, stepping outside, or putting on a song and moving for a few minutes.
It doesn't need to be strenuous, and it doesn't need to “burn off” the anxiety. Instead, notice whether a bit of movement helps when your body feels tense or restless.
You don't need to turn it into a workout. Sometimes, a bit of movement can help reduce tension.
Ask: What do I need right now?
Not every anxious moment needs the same response.
Sometimes you might need to slow down. Sometimes you need more information. You might need reassurance or support from someone you trust. You might need a break.
And sometimes, what you need is to take the next small step even though anxiety is still there.
Asking What do I need right now? can be more useful than automatically asking How do I make this feeling go away?
What if these strategies don't make the anxiety go away?
You haven't failed.
Coping strategies aren't buttons that turn emotions off. And anxiety isn't always a problem that needs to be solved before you can continue with your day.
In fact, if every strategy becomes something you have to do until you feel calm, coping strategies can sometimes become another way of trying to avoid or control anxiety.
Your goal can be more flexible than that.
Sometimes you might want to help your body settle. Sometimes you might want to make enough room around the anxiety to decide what to do next. And sometimes you might be able to let the anxiety come along while you do something that matters to you.
If a strategy makes you feel more uncomfortable, overwhelmed, or focused on your symptoms, you don't have to keep doing it just because it's commonly recommended. You can stop, try something different, or return your attention to something that feels more neutral.
Coping strategies are tools, not rules. The fact that something helps someone else doesn't mean it has to work for you.
You don't have to get rid of anxiety to keep going.
