Practices To Calm Your Anxious Thoughts

Simple Ways To Calm The Nervous System

Feeling anxious? Try this simple, beginner-friendly sequence. It combines breath, gratitude, movement, and gentle stretching to help your mind and body settle quickly.

1. Anulom Vilom / Alternate Nostril Breathing (2–3 minutes)

• Sit comfortably with a straight spine.

• Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through your left.

• Close your left nostril, release the right, and exhale through your right.

• Inhale through the right, exhale through the left.

• Repeat 5–10 cycles, focusing on the rhythm of your breath.

Benefit: Balances energy and calms the nervous system instantly.

2. Gratitude Journaling (2–3 minutes)

• Take a notebook or a piece of paper.

• Write down 3 things you’re grateful for right now—they can be big or small.

• Feel the gratitude as you write; notice any shift in your body or mood.

Benefit: Redirects attention from anxious thoughts to what is positive and present.

3. Mindful Walk or Gentle Movement (3–4 minutes)

• Step outside or simply walk around your space.

• Notice your steps, your breath, and the sensations in your body.

• Observe your surroundings—the sky, sounds, colors—without judgment.

Benefit: Grounds you in the present and releases anxious energy.

Optional Yin Stretch (1–2 minutes)

• End with a quick stretch:

  • Child’s Pose – fold forward, arms extended, forehead resting down.

  • Breathe into tight spots, letting your shoulders and back soften.

Benefit: Relaxes muscles that hold tension and signals the body to calm.

Try one or all of these techniques to help bring some ease to your day. If too anxious for all of these techniques, focus on Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing, or just simply finding a patch of grass to ground your feet into. Not available? Soaking your feet in some warm water can also help you ground.