Anxiety Running Wild, Try This Tips…

Calming the Body – Grounding, Breathing & Regulation (3 minutes)

Your body influences your thoughts just as much as your thoughts influence your body. CBT includes techniques to help settle your physiology.

A. Regulated breathing

Breathing slowly and especially extending the exhale activates the body’s calming system.

Try this:
Inhale for 4 seconds, pause briefly, exhale for 6 seconds.
Repeat for 1–2 minutes.

B. Grounding techniques

Grounding brings you back into the present moment when worry pulls you into the future.

The 5-4-3-2-1 method:

• 5 things you can see

• 4 you can touch

• 3 you can hear

• 2 you can smell

• 1 you can taste (or imagine)

C. Progressive muscle relaxation

Tense each muscle group for five seconds, then release.
Notice the difference between tension and relaxation—this retrains your body to stay in a calmer baseline.

D. Box breathing

Inhale for 4 → hold for 4 → exhale for 4 → hold for 4.
Useful for grounding before meetings or social interactions.

Learn more tips from Birdsong Psychiatry.