I’ve been stuck in an anxious cycle for about two months. I’m talking major brain fog, constant chest tightness, and an underlying sense of anxiety that seems to follow me everywhere.
I’m not a therapist, and these definitely aren’t cures. But these are the things that help me take the edge off when I feel like my brain won’t stop spiraling.
1. Get back to (or create) a morning routine.
Nothing makes me feel more put together than sticking to a simple morning routine. Waking up, brushing my teeth, doing my skincare, getting dressed, and making my bed helps me feel like I’ve already accomplished something before the day even starts.
One thing that helps even more? Setting out my outfit the night before. It’s one less decision my anxious brain has to make in the morning.
2. Put your phone down.
This one is probably the hardest for me.
When I’m anxious, all I want to do is scroll because it feels easy. But I’ve realized it rarely makes me feel better.
Instead, I try to do something away from my phone for a while. Read a book, work on a puzzle, learn a new craft, grab dinner with a friend, or go for a walk. Even setting a 30-minute timer away from my phone can make a huge difference.
3. Move your body.
More than normal.
I’m not saying you need to become a gym rat overnight. Just move.
Go for a 15-minute walk. Better yet, go twice. If you can combine it with tips 4 or 6, even better.
4. Meditate.
I know… meditation sounds kind of ridiculous when you’re anxious. Trust me, I thought the same thing.
But it’s helped me more than I expected.
I love apps like Insight Timer and MindShift, but honestly my favorite form of meditation happens when I’m outside walking.
I bring myself back to the present by noticing what I can see, hear, smell, and feel. The warmth of the sun, the breeze, the sound of birds, the feeling of my shoes hitting the sidewalk, the trees around me. Instead of fighting my thoughts, I let them come and go while gently bringing my attention back to what’s happening right now.
5. Take care of yourself.
Sometimes anxiety becomes so consuming that I forget to do the basic things that make me feel like myself.
Take a shower. Clean your space. Prep a healthy meal. Wash your sheets.
My personal favorite is an everything shower—exfoliating, shaving, deep conditioning… the whole thing. It makes me feel human again.
6. Allow your anxious thoughts to exist.
This has been one of the hardest lessons for me.
When I’m anxious, my instinct is to distract myself constantly because I don’t want to feel those thoughts.
But avoiding them usually makes them louder.
I once heard anxiety explained like this: imagine you’re in a room full of little kids, and every single one has an important story they want to tell you. If you keep saying, “Not now,” or “Be quiet,” they’re only going to get louder.
Sometimes I’ll literally set a timer for 10 minutes and tell myself, “Okay. You have permission to think every anxious thought.” Oddly enough, once I stop fighting them, they often lose some of their power.
7. Put on a comfort show.
Watch something you’ve already seen a hundred times.
For me, familiar shows feel safe because there aren’t any surprises. I don’t have to pay attention every second, and I can drift in and out without feeling overwhelmed.
Sometimes my brain just needs something familiar.
8. Let yourself cry.
I love a good emotional release.
Even if my anxiety isn’t coming from sadness, sometimes putting on a sad movie or listening to emotional music and letting myself cry is exactly what I need.
It sounds strange, but it’s incredibly cathartic.
9. Tell yourself tomorrow will be better.
Manifest that ish.
Seriously though, one of the biggest traps of anxiety is becoming anxious about being anxious.
When I remind myself, “Tomorrow is going to be a better day,” it gives me something hopeful to hold onto instead of assuming I’ll feel this way forever.
10. Remember that every anxiety spiral you’ve ever had has eventually passed.
One of the thoughts I have the most is, “I just don’t want to feel like this anymore.”
And while I don’t always know exactly when it’ll end, I do know one thing:
Every anxiety spiral I’ve ever experienced has eventually passed.
Usually not overnight. Usually little by little.
Healing isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s simply getting through today, then tomorrow, and trusting that your nervous system knows how to find its way back.
If you’re in the middle of an anxiety spiral right now, I hope you know you’re not alone. These are the things that help me. Maybe one or two of them will help you, too.
