Exercises To Calm Your Anxious Thoughts
Anxiety often shows up as racing thoughts, a restless body, and a mind that feels hard to control. When worry takes over, it can leave you feeling stuck in a cycle of “what ifs” and overwhelm. The good news is that simple exercises can help calm anxious thoughts and bring your mind back to the present moment.
As a therapist, I often teach clients these practical tools to use whenever anxiety strikes. Here are a few you can try right away.
1. The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
Look around and name:
5 things you see
4 things you feel (like the chair under you or your feet on the floor)
3 things you hear
2 things you smell
1 thing you taste
This sensory reset pulls your attention away from anxious thoughts and back into the here and now.
2. Deep Belly Breathing
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Slowly breathe in through your nose, letting your stomach rise more than your chest. Then exhale fully through your mouth. Repeat for 2–3 minutes. This signals your nervous system to relax.
3. Thought Reframing
Write down the anxious thought that’s looping in your head. Then, ask yourself: Is this thought 100% true? What’s a more balanced way to see this? Reframing trains your brain to shift from worry to perspective.
4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Starting with your toes, gently tense each muscle group for a few seconds, then release. Move upward through your legs, stomach, shoulders, and face. This helps release stored tension and reminds your mind that your body is safe.
5. Visualization
Close your eyes and imagine a calming place—maybe a beach, a quiet forest, or somewhere meaningful to you. Notice the details: colors, sounds, sensations. Visualization activates the same areas of the brain as real experiences, helping calm your mind.
Why These Exercises Work
These techniques reduce anxiety by calming the nervous system, shifting focus away from intrusive thoughts, and creating new patterns of safety in the mind and body. With practice, they become powerful tools for managing stress in everyday life.
Bringing It Into Therapy
If anxious thoughts are keeping you from enjoying life, therapy can help you go deeper—understanding the roots of your anxiety and building long-term strategies for peace of mind. Together, we can create a plan to help you feel more grounded, confident, and in control.
If you live in Indiana and are ready to take the next step, Contact me today to schedule a therapy session.