Five simple practices for the moments anxiety spikes or your mind won’t switch off. No app, no equipment — keep this where you can reach it.
Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can touch, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste. It pulls a racing mind back into the room.
Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. Repeat four rounds. Slower out-breaths tell your body it is safe.
Two short inhales through the nose, then one long slow exhale through the mouth. Two or three cycles calms the nervous system fast.
Cold water on the wrists or face, or holding something cold. It interrupts a spiral and gives you a few clear seconds.
Press both feet into the floor. Say, quietly: “This is anxiety. It will pass.” Naming a feeling loosens its grip.