Simple strategies to calm your mind and reclaim control
Anxiety has a way of showing up uninvited; usually at the worst possible time. You’re trying to sleep? Anxiety would like to discuss every mistake you’ve ever made. You’re about to send an email? Yes, let’s imagine 47 catastrophic outcomes first.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many people I work with describe anxiety as a constant background noise; sometimes like a whisper, sometimes like a horn. The aim isn’t to “switch it off” (we wish), but to learn how to turn the volume down so you can breathe, think, and get on with being human.
Here are some simple, realistic strategies you can start using today.
1. Come back to the present (your mind might wander and that’s normal)
When we’re anxious, our thoughts tend to sprint ahead into the future or drag us back into the past. The present moment, meanwhile, is patiently waiting for us to return.
A few grounding tools that actually work:
- The 4–6 breath: Breathe in for 4, out for 6. It signals to your nervous system that things are safe (even if your brain hasn’t got the memo yet…)
- The grounding “5 things” list: Notice five things around you. A chair counts. Your mug counts. Your keyboard counts. The point isn’t to be poetic but to interrupt the spiral.
- Drop your shoulders: You’d be surprised how often anxiety lives in your jaw, neck, and shoulders. Let them fall.
Mindfulness isn’t about emptying your mind (realistically no one does that). It’s about noticing where you are in the moment.
2. Challenge the thought. Not yourself.
Anxiety loves a good story. And it tends to pick the dramatic ones.
Instead of trying to silence anxious thoughts (they’ll shout louder), try asking questions:
- “Is this thought somehow helpful for me?”
- “What evidence do I actually have that this is true?”
- “Would I speak to a friend the way I’m speaking to myself right now?”
Most anxious thoughts aren’t “truths”; they’re predictions. And predictions can be wrong – similar to how a weather forecast works.
3. Build small routines (and not an entire lifestyle change)
Anxiety thrives in chaos. Structure, even very tiny one, can help one feel more grounded.
Think of it as creating small safe spaces throughout your day:
- A small morning ritual: coffee, tea, some stretching, reading, a walk, literally anything that can slows you down for one single moment.
- Break tasks into small steps. “Start task” is a step. “Open laptop” can be a step if that’s helpful to you.
- A wind-down routine. It doesn’t need to be a perfect one, just a message to your body that now it’s time to quiet down.
These tiny shifts together can make a difference. Anxiety often reduces when life feels a little less overwhelming.
4. Move your body (every little counts)
You don’t need to run a 10k. You don’t even need to run. Movement, in any form or shape that is available to you, can help the body release some tension and regulate. Explore what might be something you like and make it part of your day.
5. Talk to someone (anxiety doesn’t like company)
Sharing what you’re going through (whether with a friend, family or a therapist) can help break the sense of isolation that anxiety can create. You don’t need the “right words” or to make perfect sense, just start where you are.
Final thoughts
Even if we tend to believe it – anxiety isn’t a personal failure or a sign that you’re “too much.” It’s a response; sometimes to stress, sometimes to uncertainty, sometimes to nothing obvious at all. But it is manageable with the right tools and support.
Start small and be kind to yourself. We’re not built to do everything on our own, and it’s okay to lean on support when you need it.
**Proofread with a little help from AI. The thoughts, feelings, and the questionable sense of humour are entirely my own.
Language of Self 