How to calm anxiety: 12 tips

It’s a familiar feeling for many of us: negative thoughts, sensations of panic, difficulty concentrating. Anxiety affects millions of people worldwide: according to the Mental Health foundation, about one in five people experience it. If you’re one of them, you don’t have to put up with this debilitating condition. Whether you get occasional feelings of anxiety or suffer from chronic anxiety disorders, there are steps you can take to feel calmer and happier.

In this article, we’ll share some effective ways to relieve anxiety, from simple tricks you can try at home to lifestyle tweaks, talking therapies, and innovative tools like Endel – which offers personalized soundscapes to help you relax and tame anxiety.

Anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. Feeling anxious is a natural response to stress, and it can even be beneficial in certain situations – helping us to perform well under pressure, for example. But for many of us, feelings of anxiety can sometimes take on a life of their own. You might feel so overwhelmed that you can’t get on with your day. Or perhaps you feel anxious for long periods, even when there’s no direct cause.

When anxiety is overwhelming or persistent, it can interfere with daily life and lead to anxiety disorders. To find out if you might be affected, look out for symptoms of anxiety like excessive worry, restlessness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. You might also notice physical changes such as increased heart rate and muscle tension.

The good news is that there are simple ways to calm anxiety. Follow some of the tips below to manage your anxiety and feel calmer and happier. Many are quick and easy to try – you could have a go at some of them right now.

Anxiety relies on the imagination: an anxious person might fret about the future, or dream up nightmare scenarios to worry about. We can also harness the imagination to tame anxiety. Guided imagery is a relaxation technique that involves visualizing a peaceful scene or situation. By imagining your happy place, you create a mental escape from your stressed state, which can help calm the mind and reduce anxiety.

Start by finding a quiet place and closing your eyes. Imagine yourself in a calming environment: it could be a holiday setting, a nature landscape, or a place where you feel cozy and relaxed. Focus on the sights, sounds, and sensations of this place to create a vivid mental image. You should feel your mood change for the better.

Sound plays an important role in how anxious we feel. A stressful sonic environment full of disruptive noises and high-energy music can make anxiety worse. But the right sound can help tame anxiety and bring you calm. Endel is an innovative app that uses sound to help you feel better. Combining neuroscientific insights with innovative technology, Endel generates soundscapes that are personalized to your needs, helping you to focus ( hyperlink to focus), sleep, or relax.

Listening to Endel can help lower stress hormones, stabilize your heart rate, and enhance your overall mental health. What’s more, it’s easy to use. When you’re feeling anxious, try spending 20 minutes listening to Endel’s Relax soundscape. You might be surprised by how much it helps.

Want to go beyond deep breaths? There are plenty of breathing exercises out there that can help calm anxiety. Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, and alternate nostril breathing can be used anywhere, helping you tackle your anxiety no matter your situation. Practice these breathing exercises regularly to calm your body and tame that anxiety.

You could also try mindful breathing, which means paying attention to your breath and using it as an anchor to stay present rather than getting swept up in negative thoughts. This exercise works best in a quiet place. Close your eyes and focus on the sensation of your breath entering and leaving your body. If your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to your breath.

Feeling anxious can be an isolating experience. Sharing how you feel with the people around you is an important step towards feeling better. Try talking to a family member or friend about your feelings of anxiety. You might find that you feel reassured and better understood. They could even share helpful perspectives or advice on how to manage your anxiety.

More broadly, a healthy social life is a great guard against anxiety. When you’re feeling anxious you might just want to hide in bed, but make sure to connect with friends and loved ones regularly. In-person meetings are best for relieving symptoms, but phone and video calls can also help. When you feel surrounded by supportive people, you’ll feel better equipped to manage your anxiety.

If you often experience anxiety and the tips above don’t bring relief, it might be time to seek out a mental health professional. An anxiety disorder is a medical condition, and there are a range of effective therapies and treatments that can help you get on top of it.

Many people who suffer from anxiety disorders get relief with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This popular approach helps you to identify and change negative thought patterns through structured sessions with a therapist. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can give you new tools for coping with anxiety. For example, cognitive reframing is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy technique which trains you to view a situation from a balanced perspective rather than focusing on negative or catastrophic thoughts. This helps to tame anxiety.

Other anxiety sufferers try talking therapies like counseling or psychotherapy. Talking therapies give you a chance to explore your feelings and experiences in a supportive environment. During the sessions, a mental health professional can help you understand the root causes of your feelings and develop strategies to reduce anxiety. If you feel anxious because of unresolved issues or traumatic experiences, talking therapies might be particularly helpful for you.