30+ Anxiety Relief Tips to Calm Your Mind and Body

If your mind won’t switch off, your body feels constantly on edge, or anxiety seems to follow you throughout the day, you are not alone.

I’ve been helping women quiet anxious thoughts and feel calmer in their bodies for the past five years. But if I could go back and speak to the version of me who dreaded going to sleep because of panic attacks, these are the things I would want her to know.

This isn’t a list of ways to force anxiety away. Anxiety is often the body’s attempt to protect us. The aim is to help your mind and body feel supported and safer, one small step at a time.

You do not need to try all these anxiety relief tips at once. Choose one or two that feel manageable and notice how your body responds.

30+ Anxiety Relief Tips to Calm Your Mind and Body

1. Write your thoughts down before bed

When your brain keeps replaying conversations or reminding you about tomorrow’s to-do list, write those thoughts on paper. This can reassure your mind that the information has been recorded and does not need to be repeated all night.

Keep a notebook beside your bed so you do not have to reach for your phone.

2. Set a cut-off time for emails and messages

Checking emails and messages late at night can keep your brain in problem-solving mode. Choose a time when you stop replying and allow yourself to wind down. My cut-off time is 9:00 pm, but choose a time that suits your routine.

3. Give your brain a real break

crolling through social media may look like rest, but your brain is still processing information. Try spending a few minutes doing nothing after work—without your phone, television, music or a podcast.

Quiet may feel uncomfortable at first. Start with two or three minutes and build from there.

4. Create a scheduled “worry time”

If the same concern follows you throughout the day, choose a specific time to think or write about it for 10 to 15 minutes. When it returns earlier, gently remind yourself: “I have set aside time for this at 4:00 pm.”

This gives worry a container instead of allowing it to take over the entire day.

5. Ask a more compassionate question

Many women interpret anxiety as proof that something is wrong with them. Instead of asking, “What is wrong with me?” try asking:

“What might my body be trying to tell me?”

Anxiety can sit above unexpressed emotions, past experiences, long-held beliefs or survival patterns. Approaching it with curiosity can reduce shame and help you understand what you need.

6. Stop trying to force anxious thoughts away

If someone tells you not to press a red button, it is probably the first thing you imagine doing. Anxious thoughts can work in a similar way: the harder you try not to think them, the more persistent they may become.

Try noticing the thought without arguing with it. You might say, “There is that anxious thought again.” Allowing a thought to be present does not mean you agree with it or that it will happen.

7. Ask whether the danger is happening now

When a worst-case scenario appears, ask yourself:

• Is this happening right now?
• Or is my mind imagining something that may happen in the future?

This is not about dismissing a real concern. It is a way of helping your nervous system distinguish between an immediate situation and a future possibility.

8. Treat an anxious thought like a YouTube ad

Imagine you are watching a video and an advertisement interrupts it. You notice the ad, let it pass and return to the video you chose.

Try responding to an anxious thought in the same way. Notice it without criticising yourself, then gently return your attention to your body or what you were doing.

Grounding exercises for anxiety

Grounding exercises can bring your attention away from anxious predictions and back to what is happening around you now.

9. Slowly notice five things you can see

Look around and identify five things—a lamp, a flower, a photograph or sunlight coming through the window. Do not rush. Notice each object’s colour, texture, shape and size. You can name them aloud or write them down.

10. Touch four things around you

Feel four nearby objects between your fingers. Is each one warm or cool, smooth or rough, heavy or light? Notice not only the object, but also what you feel in your body as you touch it.

11. Focus on what you can smell

You might notice food cooking, perfume, fresh grass, a wet dog or something else in your environment. If it feels comfortable, close your eyes and focus on the scent for a few moments.

12. Pay attention to taste

Slowly taste a cup of tea, chewing gum, a piece of chocolate or another food. Notice the flavour, temperature and texture, as well as the sensations around your mouth.

13. Listen to the sounds around you

Tune in to birds, a dog snoring, a horse breathing or the rhythm of a dishwasher. Listening can help move your attention away from the stories in your mind and towards your present surroundings.

14. Notice how your body responds to your senses

Once you have noticed what you can see, touch, smell, taste or hear, go one step further. Ask:

• What sensation do I notice in my body?
• Where do I feel it?
• Does anything soften, settle or change?

There is no correct sensation to find. The practice is simply to become curious.

15. Bring your attention to your feet and toes

Wiggle your toes inside your shoes. Feel your socks, the floor or the ground beneath you. Press your feet gently into the floor, then release. Repeat this a few times and notice what happens in your legs and the rest of your body when you let go.

16. Try the “near, far, big and small” exercise

Look around and name:

• Three things far away
• Three things close to you
• Three large things
• Three small things

Saying them aloud adds another layer of awareness because you can hear yourself naming what is present and real around you.

Simple Ways to Release Anxiety From Your Body

When you are anxious, the goal does not have to be making the feeling disappear immediately. Gentle movement can help your body use some of the energy and tension it is holding.

17. Go for a walk without extra stimulation

Take a walk without music or a podcast and notice your surroundings. Walk slowly or more briskly—whichever feels better for you. I enjoy walking with my horse or going outside with my dog, but even a short walk can create space in a busy day.

18. Stretch your body

Anxiety often shows up as tightness in the jaw, neck, shoulders or upper body. Try rolling your shoulders, reaching your arms out to the sides or stretching them gently overhead.

Pay attention to the release after each movement rather than focusing only on the stretch itself.

19. Soften a clenched jaw

If you notice that you are clenching your jaw, try a gentle chewing movement or pretend to yawn. Avoid forcing the movement or stretching into pain.

20. Let yourself yawn

Yawning can release tension in the face, jaw and throat. Even gently imitating a yawn may help those muscles soften. Try it and notice whether anything changes in your breathing or body.

21. Shake it out

Animals naturally shake after a threatening experience, while humans often hold that activation inside. Try lightly shaking your hands, arms or legs. It may feel silly at first, but give yourself permission to experiment and notice the effect.

22. Offer yourself supportive touch

Place one hand on your chest and, if you would like, the other on your stomach. Feel the warmth and weight of your hands. Allow yourself to pause without trying to fix anything.

You might quietly say:

“I’m having a hard time right now, and it is okay to acknowledge that.”

This is a small act of self-compassion, especially on difficult days.

23. Lengthen your exhale gently

Stress can make breathing feel shallow. If focusing on your breathing feels comfortable, inhale naturally through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Let the exhale be slightly longer than the inhale, without taking unusually deep breaths or forcing a particular count.

If breathing exercises make you feel more anxious or light-headed, stop and return to an external grounding exercise, such as noticing what you can see or feel beneath your feet.

24. Hum or sing a familiar song

Humming or singing creates vibration through the lips, throat and chest. Choose a familiar song and notice where you feel that vibration in your body. Many women tell me they hum “Jingle Bells,” but any song that feels comforting will do.

Protect Your Energy and Reduce Overwhelm

25. Notice how social media affects you

The next time you scroll, notice how you feel afterwards. Do you feel connected and energised, or drained and more anxious?

Remember that you are usually seeing one selected moment from another person’s life—not their full experience. Consider muting notifications, unfollowing accounts or leaving groups that repeatedly affect your wellbeing.

26. Create phone-free times

Choose times when your phone is off-limits, particularly before bed. This gives your mind an opportunity to process the day instead of continuing to absorb posts, videos and other people’s opinions.

27. Change the way you consume news

Repeated exposure to dramatic headlines and footage can keep the nervous system alert. You do not need to ignore what is happening in the world, but you can decide how and when you engage with it.

You might check the news once a day, read a brief update instead of watching repeated footage, or turn off breaking-news notifications. The aim is to stay informed without taking every story into your body.

28. Remind yourself when a story is not yours to carry

If someone shares a difficult story, you can care about them without carrying their emotions for the rest of the day. Afterwards, pause and remind yourself:

“This is their story. I can return it to them with care; it is not mine to hold.”

This was an important lesson in my therapist training and continues to help me create emotional boundaries.

29. Practise saying no

Many women worry that saying no will make them seem selfish, rude or disrespectful. But ignoring your own needs for too long can leave you disconnected from your internal voice.

Start with a small, simple boundary. Notice the discomfort without assuming it means you have done something wrong. Saying no can be an act of self-care and can help your body feel safer.

---

*Do you want to learn how to say NO without feeling selfish or guilty – watch my video

---

30. Pay attention to who drains your energy and who supports you

Some people leave you feeling supported; others repeatedly leave you drained or diminished. You may not be able to end every difficult relationship, but you can create clearer boundaries around how much access someone has to your time and energy.

Everyday habits that can help you feel calmer

31. Spend time in nature

Go to the beach, sit in a park, walk beneath trees or spend time with an animal. If possible, leave your phone behind. Listen, look and smell what is around you, and notice how your body feels when you slow down.

32. Look for three things you appreciate

An anxious brain naturally scans for problems. Each day, try identifying three things you appreciate. They can be as small as a warm drink, sunlight through the window or a kind message.

This is not about pretending everything is positive. It is a way of helping your attention also register what feels supportive or okay.

33. Record your progress

Anxiety can make it difficult to recognise improvement. Write down the small changes: a moment when you recovered more quickly, set a boundary, slept a little better or responded to yourself with more kindness.

On a hard day, these notes can remind you that one difficult moment does not erase how far you have come.

34. Give yourself permission to rest

Rest is not laziness. Even a few quiet minutes can give your mind and body a chance to pause. You do not need to earn rest by reaching the end of your list.

Which anxiety relief tip should you try first?

Start with the tip that feels simplest—not the one you think you “should” do. Anxiety support does not need to become another overwhelming task.

You might begin by:

• Feeling your feet on the floor
• Naming three things you can see
• Taking a short phone-free walk
• Writing your thoughts down before bed
• Placing a supportive hand on your chest

Practise the same exercise regularly so it becomes familiar. Over time, you can build a small collection of strategies that help you respond to anxiety with more steadiness and self-trust.

When you may need more support

Self-help strategies can be useful, but you do not have to work through persistent or overwhelming anxiety alone. Consider speaking with a qualified health professional if anxiety is interfering with your sleep, work, relationships or daily life.

If you would like gentle, body-based support, I offer online anxiety therapy for women across Australia. Together, we can explore what may be beneath your anxiety and help you develop practical ways to feel safer and calmer in your body.

👉Book a free 30-minute consultation

You can also try my free meditation for anxiety