Anxiety is part of being human. Everyone worries sometimes. But for some, it becomes something bigger—something persistent. Not just a bad day, but a constant hum beneath everything.
The numbers show it clearly: nearly 60% of people in the UK reported anxiety that interfered with daily life in 2023, and one in five adults in the U.S. lives with an anxiety disorder. So many of us are seeking ways to cope.
Traditional approaches like therapy and medication are powerful, and sometimes necessary. But new research suggests that we don’t have to wait for anxiety to spiral before we tend to it. We can begin earlier—with simple, adaptable tools that strengthen emotional resilience and quiet anxiety before it overwhelms us.
Let’s explore seven evidence-based practices that might just change the way you relate to your inner world.
1. Let Go, Don’t Just Let It In
For years, we’ve been told that repressing emotions only makes them stronger. But new research from the University of Cambridge shows that learning how to gently suppress negative thoughts—not avoid, but consciously redirect—can improve mental health, even for those living with PTSD and depression.
It’s not about denying the truth of what you feel. It’s about choosing not to spiral. You can name the fear… and then choose not to follow it down its usual mental pathway. You gently let it pass like a cloud, instead of making a home for it in your mind.
And for many people, this works better than forced positive thinking. Because when you’re struggling, trying to “think happy thoughts” can feel hollow. But stopping a thought before it grows teeth? That can be powerful.
2. Anchor Yourself in Agency
Anxiety often thrives in the absence of control. But you don’t need to control everything—you just need to reconnect to the sense that you can influence your life.
That might come through learning something new, setting a goal, helping someone else, or joining a group. In fact, studies show that team sports, adult education, and volunteering all build resilience and reduce anxiety—by creating purpose, structure, and connection.
Small steps toward meaning create a sense of self-leadership. And that helps you feel steadier, no matter what storms arise.
3. Rituals Calm the Nervous System
You probably already have a few: lighting a candle before you write. Walking the dog before dinner. Morning tea in your favorite mug.
Rituals reduce uncertainty. They ground the nervous system and remind the brain that you are safe. Research shows that even simple rituals before stressful events—like public speaking—can lower anxiety and heart rate.
And one especially powerful ritual? Expressive writing. Sit with your thoughts for 15–20 minutes a day, just for a few days. Let yourself write freely, without editing or judgment. It helps untangle inner clutter and reduce the emotional charge of stress and anxiety over time.
4. Learn to Live with the Unknown
One of anxiety’s loudest demands is for certainty. But the truth is, life is rarely 100% predictable.
People with anxiety often try to avoid discomfort by over-controlling routines or steering away from anything unfamiliar. But this actually reinforces the anxiety.
Instead, gently practice building your tolerance for uncertainty. Choose the road you don’t normally take. Pick something unfamiliar from the menu. Watch a show you wouldn’t usually choose. These micro-stretches teach your nervous system that you can handle the unknown.
The more you flex this muscle, the less power anxiety has over you.
5. Coach Yourself, Gently and Wisely
When you’re spiraling, your inner voice can be brutal. It overestimates danger, inflates embarrassment, or convinces you that a fast heartbeat means doom.
Here’s one simple shift: talk to yourself in the third person.
Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,” say, “You’re doing your best, and you’ve done hard things before.” It’s called distanced self-talk—and it activates the part of your brain that gives better advice to others than it does to yourself.
By shifting your perspective, you tap into inner wisdom and self-trust. You become your own calm guide.
6. Reframe Anxiety Itself
Sometimes the most radical tool is re-seeing the thing you’re trying to fight.
Anxiety, at its core, is a signal—an inner nudge that something matters. When you start to see it not as an enemy, but as an invitation to pay attention, it begins to lose its power.
Try mentally reframing anxiety as excitement—especially when the physical symptoms are the same. Nervous about giving a talk? What if that adrenaline is your body preparing to show up fully? What if the discomfort is growth?
Or, try mental time travel: imagine the moment after the event that’s causing stress. Feel the relief, pride, or peace you’ll experience once it’s done. Let that vision anchor you.
7. Activate Your Rest-and-Digest System
Anxiety is not just in the mind—it’s in the body. Racing thoughts, yes—but also a racing heart, shallow breath, tight muscles.
The antidote is not just thinking differently. It’s helping your nervous system calm down.
This means engaging the parasympathetic system—your body’s natural rest-and-digest response. Meditation, massage, nature, yoga, even deep, rhythmic breathing can do this. One practice that works fast? Cyclic sighing: take a long deep breath, add a small sip of air at the top, then exhale slowly. Repeat.
This signals to your body: You are safe. You are supported. You can soften now.
You Don’t Need to Be “Fixed.” You Just Need Tools.
None of these are about pretending anxiety doesn’t exist. They’re about meeting it with curiosity, with intention, and with care.
Not every tool will be your tool. Some days, journaling works. Other days, a walk in the wind is what does it. This is your emotional toolbox. You get to build it and rebuild it, season by season.
You are not broken.
You are beautifully wired to respond to life—and you are capable of learning how to respond differently.
✨ If you’d like help building your toolbox, I’m here.
You can.
You’re becoming.
You already are.
