There are a lot of exercises out there, but I like the simplest ones best, because when you feel bad or you're simply not at home, you have neither the energy, nor the desire, nor the opportunity to do anything complicated.
So here's my top picks:
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing
This isn't box breathing—you don't need to hold your breath here, so it works well for people who don't like other breathing exercises.
How it works:
- Exhale longer than inhale: the inhale should be twice as short as the exhale (for example, inhale for 1-2-3-4, exhale for 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8).
- Belly breathing: • breathe deeply into your belly, meaning place your hand on your belly, take a deep breath in, and make sure your hand rises. This is diaphragmatic breathing. What it does: when we breathe into our belly and the exhale is longer than the inhale, the diaphragm stimulates the vagus nerve, which is part of the parasympathetic nervous system. And that, in turn, calms us down and relieves stress
2. "5-4-3-2-1" Grounding
When we feel anxious, we often stop being in the present moment: we get "carried away" into the past or future, losing touch with reality and our own body. In moments like these, grounding is exactly what can help calm you down.
What you need to do—name and describe:
- 5 things you can see (what is the item, what color is it, what texture?);
- 4 things you can touch (how does it feel under your fingers?);
- 3 sounds (listen to each sound individually);
- 2 smells;
- 1 taste (try it out).
3. Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation
A classic among anti-stress exercises. It works on the principle that physiological relaxation follows tension, and as a result, we calm down.
How to do it: Sit comfortably in a chair, lean back, and place your hands on your knees. Focus your attention on the following areas one by one and tense them according to this scheme: 15 seconds of tension, 30 seconds of relaxation. It is recommended to repeat each exercise 3 times. Try to breathe slowly and deeply throughout.
Target areas:
- Forehead: wrinkle your forehead, feel the muscle tension, then slowly relax while counting to 30.
- Eyes: squeeze your eyes shut tightly (not to the point of pain) for 15 seconds, then slowly relax and open them.
- Jaw: clench your jaw following the same pattern.
- Shoulders: raise your shoulders toward your head, hold for 15 seconds, and slowly lower them while counting to 30.
- Hands: slowly clench both hands into fists as tightly as possible (without pain) for 15 seconds.
- Arms: tense your hand, forearm, bicep, and triceps, and bend your arms at the elbows so your fist is near your shoulder.
- Glutes: slowly tense for 15 seconds, then slowly relax.
- Legs: slowly tense your thighs and calves.
- Feet: press your feet into the floor and pull your toes toward yourself.
The classic version takes 10–15 minutes, and it is recommended to do it several times until you feel completely relaxed. Making this exercise a daily habit can yield very good results.
However, in real life, you don't always have the time or energy, so you can do a shortened version—tense multiple muscle groups at once, your whole body at once, or just your hands (for example, outside with your hands in your pockets).
And a reminder: exercises are just a temporary quick-fix "band-aid." They can bring moment-to-moment relief, but they won't eliminate anxiety in the long term. To get rid of anxiety for good, working with a specialist is required.
