5 Things that Help Anxiety

1. Heart Massage + Breath = Calm

Anxiety is like an alarm that something terrible is going to happen and it often creates a heaviness in the chest. This exercise is incredibly soothing, especially if your anxiety sits in your chest. Massage the chest gently in a circular pattern whilte you breathe deeply.

This can help:

• Calm a racing heart

• Relieve that heavy “weight on the chest” feeling

• Trigger emotional release (yes, tears can be part of the healing)

It’s especially effective if you feel tight or numb in this area — like your emotions are stuck.

2. Change Your Breath, Change Your State

Your breath is a direct line to your nervous system. Try this:

Inhale for 4–5 secondsHold for 2–3 secondsExhale slowly for 6–8 seconds

The long exhale tells your body, “I’m safe.”Do this for 1–2 minutes and you’ll begin to feel the shift — your heart rate slows, your mind clears, and the intensity starts to pass.

3. Surf the Fear, Don’t Fight It

This one might sound strange, but hear me out: resistance fuels anxiety. When fear rises, try surrendering to the sensation instead of battling it.

Let it come. Breathe into it. Notice it without panic. This is called “urge surfing.”It takes practice — and sometimes therapeutic support — but the more you soften into the wave, the faster it passes. Surrender and observe.

4. Do Yoga (Not Just Meditation)

Yoga isn’t just calming — it moves anxiety out of your body. All that adrenaline, muscle tension, and trapped energy? Yoga helps release it.

While meditation can be helpful, many people with anxiety find it hard to sit still and focus. Yoga gives your brain something to do while also grounding your nervous system.

Focus on slower styles like Yin, Hatha, or trauma-informed yoga for anxiety relief.

5. Replace the Inner Critic with a Mantra

Notice your thoughts. Is there a voice in your head that’s hypercritical, fearful, or catastrophic?

Try this: don’t argue with it — override it. Choose a mantra or calming phrase and repeat it when your anxiety is triggered. For example:

Other mantras:

• “This feeling will pass.”

• “I am safe in my body.”

• “I can handle this.”

It’s a powerful way to break the loop and remind your brain who’s in charge.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to “get rid of anxiety” to feel better — you just need to know how to calm your system when it flares. These tools are simple, but they’re incredibly effective when used consistently.

And if anxiety is interfering with your daily life, it might be time to go deeper. I work with clients using hypnotherapy, breathwork, somatic therapy, and nervous system regulation to help anxiety heal from the inside out.