How to calm anxiety: 10 techniques for anxious moments
By the MOJO team · Updated · 2 min read
The short answer
When anxiety hits, bring your body down first: breathe slowly with a longer out-breath and ground yourself in what you can see, hear and feel right now. Once the wave passes, deal with the worry itself, by writing it down or saving it for a set worry time. Over weeks, sleep, movement, less caffeine and noticing your patterns make anxious days less frequent.
In the moment
- 1. Slow your breathing: in through your nose for 4, out through your mouth for 6. Repeat for a few minutes.
- 2. Try 5-4-3-2-1 grounding: name 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell and 1 you can taste.
- 3. Feel your feet on the floor and press them down. Notice the chair holding you.
- 4. Hold something cold, or splash cool water on your face.
- 5. Remind yourself that anxiety rises and then falls. This feeling will pass, even if it doesn't feel that way now.
When your mind keeps racing
- 6. Write the worry down, word for word. Then ask: what's the evidence, what's most likely to happen, and what could I do about it?
- 7. Use worry time: set aside 15 minutes later in the day for worrying. When a worry pops up, note it and save it for then.
- 8. Do one small, concrete thing. Action, however tiny, tends to quieten worry.
Habits that make anxiety less frequent
- 9. Protect sleep, move most days and go easy on caffeine and alcohol, which can both make anxiety worse.
- 10. Track how you feel. A few weeks of check-ins often show what makes anxious days more likely: short nights, skipped meals, certain situations.
Notice your patterns
Anxiety can feel random, but it often isn't. MOJO lets you say how your day went in about 30 seconds, then logs your mood, sleep and activity and shows patterns back to you, like calmer days after a walk or more anxious days after short sleep.
When to get help
If anxiety or low mood lasts for weeks, gets in the way of work, sleep or relationships, or you have thoughts of harming yourself, please talk to a doctor or mental health professional. If you're in crisis, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line such as 988 in the US or Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 technique?
A grounding exercise: name 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell and 1 you can taste. It moves your attention from anxious thoughts to your surroundings.
How do I calm anxiety at night?
Write down what's on your mind before bed, keep a calm wind-down without screens, and use slow breathing in bed. If worries keep coming, note them for tomorrow's worry time.
When is anxiety a problem?
When it's frequent, hard to control, lasts for weeks or gets in the way of daily life. That's a good time to talk to a doctor or mental health professional.
This guide is general wellbeing information, not medical advice. If you're worried about your mental health, talk to a doctor or mental health professional.