Techniques for Managing Anxiety
Therapy changes your relationship with anxiety over time — but you also need tools for the moment you’re in it. These are evidence-based techniques you can use right away.
Breathing
Slows a racing heart and shallow breath.
Try: Inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4. Repeat until your body settles.
Grounding
Pulls focus back to the present moment.
5-4-3-2-1: Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
Muscle Relaxation
Releases the physical tension anxiety builds up.
Try: Tense each muscle group 5 seconds, then release — feet up to head.
Mindfulness
Lets you notice anxious thoughts without being swept up.
Try: Focus on your breath. When the mind wanders, gently return — no judgment.
Challenge the Thought
Loosens the grip of worst-case thinking.
Ask: What’s the evidence? What’s the worst case — and how likely is it, really?
Move Your Body
Burns off stress hormones, releases endorphins.
Try: Walk, stretch, dance — even a few minutes shifts the state.
Safe-Place Imagery
Creates a mental escape from anxious sensations.
Try: Picture a calm place in detail — the sounds, colors, and how your body feels there.
Journaling
Externalizes worry so it feels more manageable.
Try: Spend 5–10 minutes writing what you feel and what triggered it.
Set a Worry Time
Contains worry instead of letting it run all day.
Try: Pick 15 minutes daily for worry. Outside it, tell yourself to wait for it.
Most of all: be gentle with yourself. Feeling anxiety is human — it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you.
This handout is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional care. If anxiety is affecting your daily life, talk with your therapist or provider.
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