Mindful Moments: Tips for Anxiety

If a well-meaning friend or family member has ever told you to “just breathe” when you’re feeling worked up or stressed out, you’d be forgiven if you felt like rolling your eyes (or worse) instead. They have a point though: Taking a moment to breathe is a centuries-old, research-backed way to calm your body and mind. It’s also just one of the many simple, easy – and completely free – mindfulness exercises you can try anytime you need a reset.

What is Mindfulness?

So how does mindfulness work? Mindfulness is a meditation technique that can have a positive effect on the stress pathways in your brain. An article on the American Psychological Association (APA) website describes that mindfulness has two parts: attention and acceptance.

“The attention piece is about tuning into your experiences to focus on what’s happening in the present moment. It typically involves directing your awareness to your breath, your thoughts, the physical sensations in your body and the feelings you are experiencing. The acceptance piece involves observing those feelings and sensations without judgment. Instead of responding or reacting to those thoughts or feelings, you aim to note them and let them go.

Mindfulness classes and mindfulness-based therapies provide the tools to put those concepts into practice. Such programs might include breathing exercises, yoga and guided lessons to help you become aware of your body sensations, thoughts and feelings.”

Why is Mindfulness Important?

At its core, mindfulness helps to cultivate awareness of the present, allowing us to break free from autopilot mode and consciously engage with our thoughts, emotions, and surroundings. Mindfulness helps lower cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. By anchoring our awareness to the here and now—through practices like meditation or mindful breathing—we can reduce the physiological and psychological symptoms of stress.

One of the greatest strengths of mindfulness is its accessibility. It doesn’t require expensive equipment or significant time investment. Practices such as mindful breathing, body scans, or simply paying attention to daily activities like eating or walking can all contribute to a more grounded and centered state of mind.

Incorporating mindfulness into daily life is not just a strategy for coping with life’s pressures—it’s a pathway to thriving mentally, emotionally, and even physically. By embracing the present moment with openness and curiosity, we can unlock a greater sense of well-being and inner peace.

Mindfulness Exercises for Stress and Anxiety

When you’re feeling anxious, worried, stressed or overwhelmed, you may wish to find a mindful moment using one of the following exercises.

Breathing Breaks

One of the simplest and most immediate ways to reduce stress is by taking a breathing break. If you’ve ever inadvertently let out a deep sigh in a stressed moment, your body is already onto the idea. Researchers in an article on the Stanford University website explain how a long exhale can help you release pent-up feelings – and how you can practice sighing purposefully to get the best benefits.

“But, according to a new study from Stanford Medicine, there’s an easy, at-home way to help lower your stress level: It’s called cyclic sighing, a controlled breathing exercise that emphasizes long exhalations. What’s more, it can take as little as five minutes to experience less anxiety, a better mood and even decreased rates of breathing at rest, a sign of overall body calmness.”

‘What’s interesting about the breath is that it’s right on the edge of conscious control,’” says David Spiegel, M.D., one of the authors of the study. “Most of the time breathing is automatic, like digestion, heartbeat and other bodily functions, but you can very easily take over and control your breath, which then affects your overall physiology and stress response.”

Dr. Spiegel offers these directions if you’d like to give it a try.

Cyclic sighing

“The instructions are simple: Breathe in through your nose. When you’ve comfortably filled your lungs, take a second, deeper sip of air to expand your lungs as much as possible. Then, very slowly, exhale through your mouth until all the air is gone.

After one or two of these deep sighs, you may already feel calmer, but to get the full effect, Spiegel recommends repeating these deep sighs for about five minutes. Exhalation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, he said, which slows down heart rate and has an overall soothing effect on the body.”

Breathing breaks don’t always have to be structured. Mindfulness experts interviewed in a Good Housekeeping article say setting a timer and even just breathing normally for 30 or 60 seconds, while doing nothing else, can help with anxiety.

They also offered several other breathing exercises to try using different techniques.

“Three-part breath

Inhale through your mouth, focusing on the stomach/diaphragm area; inhale further through the mouth, focusing on the chest area. Finally, fully exhale through your mouth, with intention. ‘The entire goal of the three-part breath is, how am I beginning to recognize how my body is feeling?’” says Jasmine Marie, the CEO and founder of Black Girls Breathing and a trauma and grief-informed breathwork instructor.

Coherent breathing

James Nestor, author of “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,” “favors this technique when you are feeling mounting anxiety. Slowly and softly, inhale at a rhythm of about five or six seconds, then exhale for five or six seconds. ‘If this feels too long, just shorten the cycle to where you feel comfortable,’ he says. ‘Breathing this way synchronizes our respiratory rate with our heart rate, allowing our cardiovascular system, nervous system and brains to function more efficiently.’”

Bahya pranayama

Savitha Elam-Kootil, M.D., an internist at Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta, recommends repeating this exercise a few times to help you feel calmer. “Sit upright in a quiet place and take a deep inhale; exhale forcefully to where you feel comfortable and hold your breath. Focus on the sense of holding your breath. ‘This puts a pause to the circuit of anxious thoughts and breaks the cycle even if for a while,’” she says.

Body Scan Techniques

Breathing exercises can also support other mindfulness techniques. For example, body scan meditation is a way to reduce stress throughout your entire body. An article on the Cleveland Clinic website describes the practice this way:

“Think of a body scan meditation as an inventory of your mind and body. It’s a practice that originated with the popularization of mind-body stress reduction techniques that mindfulness practitioner Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, introduced to the United States in the 1970s.

‘Sometimes, we’re just so busy that we’re not really aware of what’s happening in our body,’” says functional medicine specialist Melissa Young, M.D. “There can be a very big disconnect between the body and the mind, and a body scan meditation is a way to bring those together.

It’s about taking time to scan through all parts of the body from head to toe and checking in with the sensations in the body,’ she explains. ‘How does the body feel?’”

She says it is best to do body scans slowly, paying close attention to what you are feeling. It might look something like this:

“1. Get comfortable. You can perform a body scan in any setting, even on the go, but when you’re just learning how, you may want to start by sitting or lying down.

2. Close your eyes. If you’re not comfortable doing so, drop your gaze downward so you’re not distracted by anything around you.

3. Begin with a few deep breaths. ‘Slowly breathe in through the nose and then out through the mouth,’ Dr. Young instructs. ‘Do this a few times, letting your shoulders drop and getting settled into your body.’

4. Start at the top of your body. Focus on your head, asking yourself what sensations you feel in this part of your body. ‘It could be tension, it could be heat, it could be a pulsing quality,’ Dr. Young offers. ‘There’s no need to have any judgment about it — just awareness.’

5. Move down your body. Turn your attention down to your shoulders and upper back. ‘What sensations are there for you?’ Dr. Young asks. ‘It could be tightness, it could be lightness. Whatever it is, it’s perfect in this moment.’

6. Focus on your mid-body. Moving down to your chest and belly, notice what you’re feeling in those areas. If you’re sitting in a chair, pay attention to the sensation of your body in the chair; if you’re lying down, notice the feeling of your back on the floor or bed. ‘Just go through that inventory and where are you in that moment,’ she says.

7. Continue the process down your body. Keep it up as you inventory the rest of your body: each hand and arm, your thighs, then your knees and calves. ‘Be aware of tension or other sensations there,’ she encourages. ‘No need to try to change them in this moment.’

8. Finish at your feet. Finish your body scan by moving all the way down to your feet and toes, bringing awareness to those areas of the body and how they feel.

9. End the process gently. Slowly bring your attention back to your surroundings, taking a slow deep breath and gently opening your eyes.”

Over time, continuing this practice can help train your nervous system to remember how to relax in stressful moments and can improve your overall well-being, she says.

Grounding Exercises

Grounding exercises aim to help you keep steady through times of chaos by reinforcing a positive mind-body connection.

“Any practice of grounding will take the mind and body from a state of what we would call disorderliness or disarray, or the most excited state, and begin to bring the body into a more calm state,” says Susan Chen, a meditation expert and founder of Susan Chen Vedic Meditation, in a Well + Good article.

Chen says her favorite exercises to help her stay grounded include her daily meditation time, warm oil massage, and the following practices:

“Sticking to a daily routine

Sticking to her established routine most of the time is another way Chen grounds herself. The health benefits of routines are well established; routines can help set you up for success by ensuring you do all you need to do to get proper sleep and movement, plus manage stress. Chen says establishing and sticking to a routine is a tenet of Ayurveda [a holistic system of medicine], as well. ‘A normal and regular routine is one of the best ways to ‘ground’ from a preventative perspective,’ she says.”

“Sipping warm liquids

Warm drinks like water and tea are always within Chen’s arm’s reach, and she sips on them throughout the day. The warm liquid has a calming and soothing effect. Consuming warm liquids is an Ayurvedic practice, but Chen says we can look to our own lives for why this works, too. ‘There’s this wise wisdom that comes from our mothers and grandmothers where we know eating warm, comforting foods is really good for grounding,’ she says.”

“Earthing

Imagine the calm feeling that rushes over you when you stand or lie barefoot in the grass–if you’re familiar, you may have tried earthing, another of Chen’s favorite grounding techniques. Earthing, which has its roots in several cultural traditions, is exactly what it sounds like–physically touching the earth and reaping the benefits of your body’s connection to it. Whether done standing barefoot or lying down, earthing is about allowing your body’s ions to connect with those on the earth to produce a feeling of calm.”

“Performing sun salutations

Sun salutations, or surya namaskar, are another key piece in Chen’s toolbox of grounding techniques, and one she peppers throughout her day. Meaning to bow to the sun in Sanskrit, the sequence of yoga poses is rooted in ancient traditions. The calming and stress-relieving effects, combined with gentle physical movements, make the foundational yoga move one of Chen’s preferred methods to ground herself. ‘It’s a great way to connect the mind and body, and it can be done at any time of the day,’ she says.’”

You may wish to experiment with different types of exercises over time. The key, she says, is to find whatever works best for you.

If your anxiety cannot be controlled or managed with practices that support mindful moments, you may want to get help. And if medication is suggested as part of your mental health treatment, it may be helpful to consider talking to your healthcare provider about the GeneSight test. The GeneSight test analyzes clinically important genetic variations in your DNA, and the results, along with other clinical and patient specific factors, can be used to help inform your healthcare provider’s treatment decisions for mental health medications.