Have you ever tried to talk yourself into calming down in a stressful situation? If so, you’ll know how difficult it is to stop anxious thoughts when you have anxiety.
But why is it so difficult? Because once you’re in a highly emotional state, your sympathetic nervous system is usually in charge.
This is the part of your nervous system that is responsible for the “fight, flight, or freeze” state. When it’s activated, stress hormones are secreted and the part of your brain responsible for making conscious, rational decisions gets demoted and more primitive, emotional parts of the brain take charge.
The good news is that there are tricks to hack the nervous system so you can stop anxious thoughts quickly, in 30 seconds or less, in any situation.
When CBT Doesn’t Work for Anxiety
So what do you do? Many people have found success by using body-based, bottom-up approaches to stress and anxiety.
By making changes in your body, you can activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the “rest and digest state” that makes you feel safe and relaxed. Once you are in this state, your higher functioning brain can take over, empowering you to make conscious decisions and follow through on them.
There are several ways to go about this. Massage therapy is one method that requires zero effort. In studies, massage has been found to activate the parasympathetic nervous system almost immediately. Getting massage on a regular basis makes your body more resilient to stress and able to calm down easier.
Other body-based methods to reduce anxiety usually require a little disciple or practice. One method that is still easy (and free!) is using your breath.
But Breathing Doesn’t Help My Anxiety!
If you’ve tried breathing exercises and found them unhelpful, you are not alone. What many breathing techniques fail to account for is that all breaths are not created equal.
When you inhale, this stimulates that “fight, flight, or freeze” nervous system I mentioned. When you exhale, the “rest and digest” nervous system is stimulated.
Because of this, you can reduce the stress response and calm your body by simply exhaling for longer than you inhale.
A Simple Breathing Technique to Reduce Anxiety in Five Minutes or Less
Here’s how to reduce anxiety in five minutes or less. It’s a really short and easy exercise you can master quickly with just a little practice. Once you have it mastered, you can utilize it to calm down whenever you are in a moment that feels overwhelming or stressful.
1. Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. If sitting, keep your back straight and tall, chest open, and shoulders down.
2. Breath naturally through your nose for a moment.
3. Inhale and count to two in your mind, hold your breath for one count, exhale steadily while you count to four, then hold your breath for one count.
4. Repeat in a smooth, rhythmic fashion for several minutes.
With this exercise, the exact count amounts aren’t that important. Just make sure your exhale is longer than the inhale. Experiment with different count amounts until you find one that feels the most natural and calming.
How to Stop Anxious Thoughts in 30 Seconds or Less
Take note of how you feel before and after breathing like this. How does your body feel when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated?
How do your muscles feel? Do you have less pain?
How is your cognition/thinking? How about motivation, energy, self-discipline, and mood?
If you notice any positive benefits that you want in your life, commit to doing this practice 3-5 minutes every day.
Choose an anchor activity that you do every day, such as brushing your teeth, to serve as a trigger for your breathing practice. This will help remind you to practice every day and help create a habit that will stick.
You will enjoy immediate benefits after each practice. More importantly, though, regular practice will make it easy and automatic to breathe this way during stressful situations when you need to relax the most. This is how to stop anxious thoughts in 30 seconds or less, instantly, anywhere.
Want to remember this? Pin this to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it later!
