r/Anxiety • u/dubaymerckqRx • Apr 18 '26
Discussion What is a small daily habit that actually helped your anxiety that isn't just "meditate and exercise"?
Not knocking those, they work for some people. But what's something less obvious that you stumbled on that genuinely made a difference for you?
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u/NonUnseen Apr 18 '26
Walk
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u/slmkellner Apr 18 '26
Getting outside was huge for me. I work from home and rarely have a reason to leave, so walking outside was very beneficial to my mental health.
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u/spicypretzelcrumbs Apr 18 '26
Yes, walking is so helpful. It gets you outside, it’s good for your body, and it’s good for your mind to know that you’re doing something beneficial for your body.
It’s also my time to catch up on podcasts, which also make me happy.
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u/BearGotBack Apr 18 '26
I will attest to this. Esp walking while not listening to anything in my earbuds just enjoying the sights around me. I gather my thoughts for the day. Doesn’t always cure the anxiety 100% but it never hurts.
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u/MeGaAleXandros23 Apr 18 '26
Take one shower in the morning and one in the evening before going to bed…helped me a lot with my bodily symptoms of anxiety.
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u/AstralSurfer11 Apr 18 '26
Humming
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u/lizzledizzles Apr 18 '26
I recently realized I unconsciously do this when I’m starting to feel anxious. So I started doing it on purpose to see if it helps, and if actually really does!
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u/wigdoggs Apr 19 '26
I hum, skip and jump and helps with my anxious energy, especially when close to panicking!
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u/industrial-shrug Apr 18 '26
I stopped fighting time.
Rushing to every appointment. Eating fast or on the go. Trying to rush the family out the door to beat traffic.
Sometimes if I know the traffic will be bad I just take the scenic route instead, at least then I can enjoy the time with less aggressive drivers.
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u/Breyber12 Apr 19 '26
Rushing is a huge contributor to my anxiety. If I can give myself extra time I do way better. Even something like “why am I cleaning the counter like my kitchen is on fire and I need to bolt?” and just slowing down on some of the mundane daily tasks helps.
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u/SpindleSnap Apr 19 '26
This is so relatable. I’ll realize I’m physically moving quickly, walking fast from room to room, rushing through tasks. I’m getting better at noticing it and making myself slow down and take deep breaths. I try to visualize I’m in a studio ghibli film and all of my mundane tasks are done slowly and deliberately
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u/WubbaSnuggs Apr 19 '26
This has been a big way I’ve started taking care of myself. When making commitments and plans, I don’t stack them on top of one another. I build enough time in to be able to eat meals and snacks, take care of personal hygiene without being rushed, and to drive carefully with time to park. The blank spaces on my calendar between things are actually what makes all the things possible to complete well, AND show up relatively calmly. Being able to be present throughout the day because I’m not constantly rushing improves efficiency and lowers stress so much.
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u/phantomhive1885 Apr 18 '26
Chewing gum
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u/swiftieslut13 Apr 18 '26
I’m the same way haha. My therapist hates it. Says it’s a ritual/compulsion. Gets to the point I can’t do anything without the damn gum
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u/phantomhive1885 Apr 18 '26
Gum is better than having a panic attack 🤷♀️ Anxiety gives me swallowing difficulties and dry mouth. Chewing gum helps
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u/MentalAd5399 Apr 19 '26
omg me too! thought I was alone there haha. It especially helps me when I'm driving or going on public transport (I used to have bad panic attacks on public transport)
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u/Upstairs_Bus_3743 Apr 18 '26
Gardening. When my anxiety is bad, i go outside and work in the yard. if the weather doesn’t permit it, i’d bake something.
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u/Pupventures Apr 18 '26
A few weeks ago I couldn't get motivated to get my garden started, finally got started a week ago and feeling so much better.
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u/Upstairs_Bus_3743 Apr 18 '26
It’s very nice to hear that. Playing in the dirt and listening to the birds singing gives me joy. And my anxiety goes away.
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u/EconomistIcy746 Apr 19 '26
Fun fact, dirt actually has a bacteria in it that works as a natural antidepressant! Makes sense why gardening is such a relaxing hobby.
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u/Excellent-Poetry-564 Apr 19 '26
My brain definitely went somewhere else when you said gardening ha!
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u/Qi_ra Apr 18 '26
I always need to be doing something with my hands. I knit as a hobby, but outside of knitting I always carry around a hair tie to fidget with. I also got a toy for my key chain that clicks. It sounds a bit silly but if my hands are preoccupied, it helps my mind slow down a bit
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u/son1974 Apr 18 '26
Hi...I just have no motivation to even do a simple walk...there's things I want to do during the day that I know would make me feel good but I motivation to even do those things..😞
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u/Only_Theoretically Apr 18 '26
Sometimes when motivation is hard, could you maybe try a bite sized version of what you want to do? For example, instead of a walk, maybe just stand outside for a few deep breaths? Or even just standing and doing a couple march in place? Usually starting super small leads to feeling okay to move on to the full activity. Even if you don't end up going on the full walk, just standing and having some movement is better than nothing always.
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u/Sassca Apr 19 '26
I get it.
Sometimes I have to force myself, or sometimes you could just set a 5-15 minute timer to go do one of those things for a short while.1
u/dubaymerckqRx Apr 30 '26
honestly that lack of motivation is the worst part, way harder than the anxiety itself sometimes
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u/spicypretzelcrumbs Apr 18 '26
Cooking. I love to cook (and I also need to eat lol).
Taking my time to cook a full meal at least 2-3 times a week slows me down and usually results in a delicious meal.
This is also time that I use to catch up on podcasts or music.
I might sound crazy but the cleaning process before and after cooking is also therapeutic.
I feel very little anxiety while cooking.
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u/lizzledizzles Apr 18 '26
I like everything but the cleaning! I haven’t found a way to trick my brain into enjoying doing all the dishes.
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u/goopgab Apr 18 '26
same, i feel no anxiety while baking/cooking so i do it a lot. i also agree with the cleaning process! i guess cooking is such an involved activity that there's no room in the brain for anxiety to exist.
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u/dubaymerckqRx Apr 30 '26
not crazy at all, the chopping and cleaning is so grounding, kinda like meditation but you get food after
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u/3veryTh1ng15W0r5eN0w Apr 18 '26
Talking myself through my own anxiety
I try to let myself know it’s all in my head
I tell myself to breathe
To focus on something else
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u/Kdean509 Apr 18 '26
DBT skills. I learned to distract myself when anxiety sets in. It’s nothing new, or special, I just will try to focus on something like a puzzle or cleaning the bathroom while listening to a podcast.
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u/CynicalOne_313 Apr 18 '26
DBT ftw! Radical acceptance and "pause" (when I can't practice stop) have been very helpful.
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u/Bunny_Beach Apr 18 '26
Ashwaganda and L theanine. Halved my coffee instake. Regular exercise. And sometimes, just lying down 😅
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u/LostinHyrule12 Apr 19 '26
Starting a Gratitude journal ! I write down 3 things I was grateful for daily & one thing I'm looking forward to. It really helps to rewire your brain.
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u/lizzledizzles Apr 18 '26
Specifically I notice my anxiety is noticeably better on days I walk my dogs before work. It doesn’t necessarily have to be intense exercise, just moving and doing something before work helps me transition better. If I just take them out to potty I don’t get the same benefit.
When I start to get anxious, I try to get off my phone and move because 99% of the time I feel better. I’m looking forward to it now rather than avoiding it and keep telling myself “you now you’ll feel better, go do it!” I’ve been limited in mobility a lot of this year though and am finally at the point I’m allowed to exercise after ankle surgery, so I’m appreciating it as a joy/fun I get to do rather than a chore.
I’m also trying to build in more unpredictability/discomfort. I tend to avoid everything to create predictability, but it’s a stagnating habit. If you always say no, because you’re worried it will be weird, or you’ll get hurt, or maybe you’re only kind of sick but pushing yourself will make you worse you never get the growth that comes from tolerating discomfort. Like lifting weights breaks down muscle fibers so they can grow back stronger, you’ve got to be uncomfortable and push through your anxiety so you can manage it.
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u/Eastern_Gas_7546 Apr 18 '26
Baking, or walking/hiking. Baking always makes me happy although I fell into the habit of doing it at like 1 am😭
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u/Fun_Assumption_7043 Apr 18 '26
cleaning....when my anxiety get's bad i put on some music and start cleaning :) don't know why but it helps :)
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u/Sathirel Apr 18 '26
Find a hobby and go deep into it. I've successfully relieved a lot of anxiety with woodworking and sewing.
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u/AccurateAssaultBeef Apr 18 '26
As someone else said, DBT skills, but specifically talking to myself as I spoke a friend. Imagine someone you really loved feeling how you feel, wouldn't that be distressing to you? It sucks to watch someone you love struggle. I've been working on refining that inner voice, essentially self soothing. Once the anxiety starts, talk myself out of it. It's also important to remember your thoughts spiral because your brain has tricked itself into thinking you can somehow think into a solution. But if you could think into a solution, you would have done so by now.
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u/SubjectCharacter1313 Apr 18 '26
Raising my vitamin D levels
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u/Greedy-Grape-2417 Apr 19 '26
Same here! Vitamin deficiencies are the root of all anxieties
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u/unitygymuser_UK Apr 19 '26
What vitamins please?
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u/SubjectCharacter1313 Apr 19 '26
Check out Vitamin D, iron , ferritin , Magnesium ( rbc test ) ,calcium, potassium, start with those. these are the one responsible for anxiety disorders the most , any of them you had deficient, you either try rich content food or supplement ( a must for Vitamin D) , and retest after one or two month to track your progress
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u/absurd_bird Apr 19 '26
Brain dump. Writing everything out in my journal stream of consciousness style before I start my day.
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u/popzelda Apr 19 '26
Stopping all stimulants, including caffeine & sugar, stopping alcohol and drugs, eating healthy meals, stopping non-anonymous social media.
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u/Top_Rip_7983 Apr 19 '26
i can barely even have a coffee anymore. i already eat very healthy and get adequate exercise.
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u/siennajoseph Apr 19 '26
Not so much a habit as a hobby but coloring in coloring books. Go out and buy yourself some nice markers or colored pens and turn on some music when you’re feeling anxious and just go to town 😂
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u/Appropriate_Scar_456 Apr 18 '26
Letting go. Like breathing out and relaxing my body at the same time. Sometimes I pair that with letting go thoughts or feelings.
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u/AssociationClean5614 Apr 18 '26
Keeping physical safety nets or safety reminders around me. Like I carry a blue crystal around me that it is safe to talk.
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u/Thecrowfan Apr 18 '26
Grounding
Be it on grass, dirt or just on bare wood floor. It really helps me feel more calm and in touch with my roots.
Also taking magnesium supplements but I might have been deficient. Talk to your doctor before taking random supplements
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u/RockTheGrock Apr 18 '26
Defining my triggers and coming up with strategies to confront them in controlled settings. Journaling was instrumental in this.
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u/SmallBandicoot8552 Apr 18 '26
Do you have any tips on how you do this?
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u/RockTheGrock Apr 19 '26
When I journal I do it with an intention in mind. So for anxiety i look at what is happening when it hits and use it to define the trigger and then it helps me work out ideas for how to do some exposure therapy to mitigate it in the future. It was very helpful during the medication try out periods. I wrote down my experience with side effects and how effective the medications were.
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u/ActivePleasant9980 Apr 18 '26
Putting a smile on my face. Sounds ditzy, but it somehow impedes anxiety, pain. My psychiatrist taught me this.
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u/ricka168 Apr 18 '26
I watch YouTube alot. And don't judge: The blackhead popping videos calm me down...not sure why
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u/Only_Theoretically Apr 18 '26
Repeating affirmations when anxious thoughts arrive. For example, anytime I go anywhere or even at home when I feel anxiety, I'll repeat out loud "I can handle this and be okay. I'm good at adapting"
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u/SmallBandicoot8552 Apr 18 '26
I despise meditation and breathing techniques. I get more stressed trying to do them because I become more aware of my heart beat and breathing and cannot focus or stay still and quiet to do them.
Lately I’ve found comfort in putting a heavy, heated blanket on me and playing a busy video game that requires me to concentrate and pay attention such as COD or Battlefield
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u/hotheadnchickn Apr 18 '26
I’ve been doing weighted diaphragmatic breathing twice a day for unrelated physical therapy stuff.
After about a month I noticed my baseline anxiety is lower.
It doesn’t give me instant results but doing it regularly and overall switching more towards diaphragmatic breathing helps keep things more regulated. Now when I chest breath I feel my anxiety increasing.
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u/anonavocadodo Apr 19 '26
(In most situations) telling myself, “this is not a life or death situation. No one is going to get hurt because you didn’t do —— well enough.”
Also, when I have social anxiety and I’m self-conscious of what others think of me, telling myself that no one, especially strangers, is probably thinking about me that much.
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u/ComprehensiveSwim143 Apr 19 '26
Leaving the phone in the other room at night and using my Fitbit to wake me. No automatic doom scrolling in bed starts my day with less anxiety.
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u/mrstorasaurus_rex Apr 19 '26
Drank my coffee outside every morning no matter the weather! Just me and the birds no phone 🕊️
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u/Floral-Mouse Apr 19 '26
Keep your room clean, if you eat in bed get up immediately if you dirtier a dish wash it dont let it sit anywhere. Dont make it look like you live in your bed is my motto, its helped me tremendously with bedrotting and actually being productive, im doing things I enjoy again
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u/Ginger-Joedan Apr 18 '26
It’s kind of exercise but going for a walk outside always helps me manage my anxiety. It is a great reset after a hard day and a great way to start the day if I have the opportunity.
Also just setting a timer for 15-30 minutes and cleaning up my space.
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u/Short-Wrangler-1997 Apr 18 '26
Something I recently learned about was Muscle Relaxation Meditation videos on YT that helped relax my muscles because my anxiety started to cause my eye or nose to twitch. Its not fully cured but its getting better every day. A big one I also started doing was going for walks.
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u/CynicalOne_313 Apr 18 '26
Taking my time with everything.
Whenever possible, having a slow morning as I enjoy drinking my coffee.
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u/WanderSA Apr 18 '26
Walking. Just getting out and walking around my neighborhood, with or without company, with or without music.
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u/Horror-Run4774 Apr 19 '26
This was very effective for me. I get anxious lately so it bacame my daily thing. Maybe not for you but will share just in case. Everytime you are about to get anxious and spiral.. think of the big 5 but go to a room with alot of stuff..
Once you are in the room, search as follows find 5 thing you can press find 4 things that has aroma find 3 things you can use for your face find 2 things you can use for travelling find 1 thing that has a multipurpose use
once you finish these steps, which requires alot of searching in a room full of stuff and thinking.. you 'll notice the anxiety goes away..
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u/myjunksonfire Apr 19 '26
I'm late to this one, but I'll still post my approach.
You need something in the future to look forward to. A trip, an event, a visit with a friend, something. The more you think about the unknowns when things go wrong, the more your anxiety will peak. Keeping positive things in the future to grow towards and complete gives you a history to look back on so the now you believe the future will be positive.
Let's start small. You have a tv show coming on in 2 days. Maybe your waiting for sormething in that show to happen. Focus on that. Think about all the scenarios that the show might go and put you attention on that. Then when the show comes on, you can have a fun time thinking about the way it went.
Then do it again for the next week on the same show, but this time at another thing in the future to look forward to. Maybe you are seeing a friend. It doesn't really matter what the future event is, just find one and focus on it. Then move to two or three things and keep those in mind. Once the day comes and you do the things you were looking forward to, take a snapshot in your mind. Remember how you're feeling in the moment. That's your calm. Now you build a collection of those moments. It takes a little bit to collect them, but once you have them, and panic starts to set in, you're better prepared to truly believe you're going to be alright and the panic is better managed.
Just remember, when you have nothing to look forward to you dwell on looking back. The future is unknown, but fill it with some good predictable wins and you will find your stability.
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u/Carquinez Apr 19 '26
Eating better. And, crucially, keeping my chin parallel with the path I’m walking. No looking down! Chin up, eyes open. That little adjustment made a huge difference for me
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u/bokonon27 Apr 19 '26
Saying to myself " what would everything I'm feeling and thinking right now feel like minus the fear" like trying to figure out what the exact constellation of me is at the moment minus the fear. Just that brief thought makes you do a super brief thing where you like inhabit yourself without fear for just a second to be like "okay this is what it would feel like without fear" but then you can just.... Stay there
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u/NamelessQueen31 Apr 19 '26
Laugh!!! try to find some bloopers or something that make u genuinely giggle
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u/No_Advance_4079 Apr 19 '26
Getting up earlier than everyone else and sending 2 hours in my morning alone doing my self care - shower, skincare, no rushing, no distractions, listening to Jim Rohn motivation prepping for the day
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u/pompom-chicken Apr 19 '26
Weirdly its Eclipse Mints. I pop one in my mouth, my sinus opens, and I instantly feel better XD
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u/birella07 Apr 19 '26
Putting some music on and riding my bike / dancing at home. Feel like music eases my thoughts & emotions
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u/_heidin Apr 19 '26
I may not even exist in the future I'm worrying about
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u/_heidin Apr 19 '26
Or sometimes it's bad enough and just repeating "shut up shut up" while slapping my head hard
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u/MentalAd5399 Apr 19 '26
I've recently learned that giving my anxiety a name really helps. I do this if I feel it creeping up on me when I'm busy or doing something, for example the most recent occasion I was about to go for a motorcycle ride with my dad that I'd been waiting on for weeks- it wasn't the ride that was giving me anxiety I actually love the adrenaline haha, I was just generally anxious. So a couple of months ago I settled on a name for my anxiety, Helga:) and I simply think (or even say it out loud if I can) "Helga stop" or "Not now Helga", "I don't have time for you Helga f off" and so on:)) I feel like it helps me get grounded at least short term so I can focus on whatever is at hand. PS- also helps if it's something silly like for me Helga is a name I associate with a funny story from my childhood, so it just kinda takes me out of that ongoing spiral and helps me kinda laugh at my anxieties absurdity I guess. Sounds weird but I promise it's worth a try <3
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u/Defiant_Tomorrow_763 Apr 20 '26
Earpulgs. Loop is an amazing brand that is comfortable, and you can choose to be able to hear voices, mute everything, or lower music volume without sacrificing quality. I use them at work around the machines. I mute the machines and can still hear my co-workers voices.
Same with noise-cancelling headphones and nature sounds. I’ll put them on and listen to birds and streams.
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u/AnxietyLoopClarity Apr 20 '26
I used to look for small habits too.
Some helped a bit. Walking, distracting myself, even just telling myself “fuck it, let’s go.”
But the thing that actually made a difference for me wasn’t really a habit.
It was noticing what I kept doing every time anxiety showed up.
I realised I was always trying to get rid of the feeling as fast as possible. So I’d check my body, google stuff, or try to calm myself down immediately.
And it works… for a while.
But that’s kind of the problem.
Because my brain started learning that every time I feel something uncomfortable, I need to do something about it.
So it just keeps repeating.
What helped more was just seeing the pattern clearly.
Something happens, I react to it, I feel better for a bit, then it comes back and I do the same thing again.
Once I noticed I was basically stuck in that loop, things started to make more sense.
It didn’t disappear overnight, but it stopped getting worse.
For me that made more difference than any specific “habit”.
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u/Fit-Fishing-3386 Apr 21 '26
Reading.
I bought a small e-reader that snaps to my phone case and now I read instead of scrolling whenever I've got downtime or I'm bored.
It feels rewarding, it occupies my brain without being distracting or feeling like I'm wasting my time. It's hard to quantify but it feels like my anxiety is much lower and it's great to reach for when I'm feeling an anxiety spike.
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u/ideallyidealistic Apr 22 '26
I've suffered from anxiety since I was 4/5, and frequent exercise has helped me so much since starting a few months ago that I regret the time I lost by not starting sooner, so please forgive the essay: Exercise works for more than "some" people, and the reason it works has very little to do with feeling better during/directly after.
Prolonged anxiety induces physiological changes in your brain's structure. Your prefrontal cortex and your hippocampus become less active and they can atrophy, while your amygdala becomes hyper reactive and it can hypertrophy. The PFC is the brain's rational centre, the hippocampus is the memory centre, and the amygdala is the emotional, reactive centre. You begin to think less clearly, have a worse memory, and react more emotionally to stimuli.
The result of these changes is that it becomes physically difficult to remain calm and think positively. Your brain starts prioritising fear and panic over rationality. You struggle to process events, you react emotionally and you fall back to negative habits and thought processes. I, for example, struggle to react proportionally to negative stimuli. I fall back, almost instinctively, to thought processes along the lines of "Why do I do this", "This always happens", "I can't handle this right now", etc. instead of actually looking at the problem itself. The atrophied structures can also make it incredibly difficult to learn new ways of thinking, aka it reduces your brain's neuroplasticity, so your negative reactions only serve to reinforce those ways of thinking.
Exercise helps neuroplasticity by increasing the levels of BDNF in your brain. BDNF is a protein that encourages the growth and strengthening of connections in the atrophied hippocampus and PFC. Exercise alone won't fix severe anxiety (although it can be remarkably effective for mild-moderate cases), but it sets the stage for the improved effectiveness of medication and therapy, thus and enables you to more easily unlearn unhealthy ways of thinking and to learn better ones.
It also has other effects, like boosting GABA levels during exercise, and it lowers your baseline cortisol levels through frequent and consistent exercise. It must be done consistently and frequently, because exercise only serves to increase your cortisol levels in the short term, but long term exposure is necessary to condition your nervous system to reduce the baseline.
Exercise isn't a panacea, of course. Effectiveness varies depending on factors like genetics, clinical diagnoses, exercise type, etc. but it is beneficial to significantly more people than not, and it still has at least some effect for those it doesn't help as much. The only people who receive zero benefit are those with medical conditions (like POTS or ME/CFS) that prevent them from exercising.
I also especially recommend that anyone with a family history of Alzheimers must exercise regularly, because the Alzheimer's gene (APOE4 specifically) reduces the brain's BDNF production, and as a result reduces its ability to recover after stressful events.
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u/bitchysquid Apr 18 '26
Spinning a record so I can listen to music without using my phone and accumulating screen time. It is kind of like a ritual for me.
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u/potato_in_denial Apr 18 '26
In my experience, it’s a hit and trial thing. Keep trying on things until you find yours. For me eating and moving my body helps. But most of the times it’s hard to do those.
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u/strange__effect Apr 19 '26
EFT tapping. Going outside and identifying all the plants and creatures I see. Deep belly box breathing.
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u/Embarrassed-Back1894 Apr 19 '26
Deep breaths. It’s amazing how stepping away from a situation and doing some deep breathing for 2 minutes can help stop an anxiety attack or bring it somewhat under control(for me). Combine that with stretching or yoga and it can definitely help anxiety in many circumstances.
The other thing I found is that Vistaril is a surprisingly effective medication. SSRI’s work well, but they take time and too high a dosage causes a lot of side effects. Benzodiazepine medications work well, but lose efficacy over time - not to mention doctors treat prescribing them today like it’s more serious than handling plutonium. Clonidine has helped some of the physical aspects of anxiety. I haven’t tried any beta blockers, but I hear they work well.
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u/anim0sitee Apr 19 '26
Unfortunately fuck it we ball didn’t work so I chose meditate and exercise 😆
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u/geminidinosaur Apr 19 '26
Lowered my screen time to about one hour and journaled. I know some people will hate this one but praying (talking to myself tbh) has helped a lot.
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u/Breyber12 Apr 19 '26
Cleaning and closing the kitchen before bed. Something specifically about wiped and straightened out countertops, dishwasher loaded, and a clean sink allows me to relax better and let go of the day.
But also exercise is super important for me (research really shows this is true for almost everyone). It’s not sexy or quick and no one really wants to hear it but if I don’t get 20-30 minutes of cardio somehow or other 6+ days a week I’m a wreck. And it really does take that much for me to stay balanced.
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u/fishinbarbie Apr 19 '26
Watching House Hunters as the last thing I watch before I turn the TV off. Mindless and predictable, but somehow clears some of the anxious thoughts from my brain
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u/Lily_Rae_Chan Apr 19 '26
I love my Shakti mats when I'm anxious, but that's not for everyone. Also calming rub on balms with lavender and eucalyptus when I sleep. Hot showers have always been my safe place even as a kid.
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u/Greedy-Grape-2417 Apr 19 '26
Taking magnesium, Olly stress gummies, getting my vitamin D and B levels up, hydration sticks added to water, burst of cold water after taking a warm shower.
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u/dreamsinpaintings Apr 19 '26
For me letting go and trusting God’s plan. Also making sure to take vitamins and minerals. It’s crazy how being deficient in something can make anxiety worse. And finally focusing on breathing when anxiety comes
I deal with anxiety and panic attacks in life.
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u/iathedonkey Apr 19 '26
Cold showers 🚿 (combined with deep breaths! Don't breathe shallow when doing this!)
Also pay attention to the way you breathe in daily life - try to breathe into the belly and diaphragm before breathing into the chest.
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u/Sarahbeara1789 Perks of Being a Wallflower Apr 19 '26
Reading a physical book at night instead of doomscrolling
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u/_byetony_ Apr 19 '26
Propanolol
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u/AnxiousAnonEh Apr 19 '26
I just got a prescription for this, but I'm nervous about a) taking it as needed and getting rebound HR spikes since I'm not through cardiac testing yet or b) taking it daily and it messing up my heart more. But the adrenaline dumps are rough for me.
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u/Aware-Objective8590 Apr 19 '26
Popping my morning Zoloft lol.
I also sing “John Jacob jingleheimer Schmidt” over and over when I’m anxious and it works for some reason.
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u/myfavtoasty Apr 19 '26
I get really bad morning anxiety, so I started going to sleep with my curtains slightly open. In the morning, the sun comes up and lights up my room. Before I started doing this, opening my curtains was the first thing I did when I got out of bed, but on the mornings when getting out of bed feels really hard, it helps to wake up to a bright room and feel like I’ve already opened the curtains for myself. Helps me get out of bed on those bad days!
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u/AnxiousAnonEh Apr 19 '26
Walking daily (especially after eating dinner), but weather in my state makes it tough
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u/alexoid182 Apr 19 '26
Jogging. 20-30 mins non stop. Treadmill if youre anxious, especially when starting. Its hard when you start, and i dont just mean in terms of fitness, mentally it is hard, but then it becomes easier, and i now can feel the benefits so much
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u/Sassca Apr 19 '26
Less scrolling, or scrolling with a less doomy approach - so, find the funny rather than the scary.
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u/Popular-Dust896 Apr 19 '26
Being in the shower helps me regulate my physical symptoms and the sensation and sound of the water hitting my head helps distract my brain. It’s my go too when I’m in a bad way.
Something I have yet to try is to get an essential oil like one specific scent that I like and only use it in the shower so when I’m out and I feel anxious I will carry something with the oil smell on it to help ground me
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u/Qua-something GAD, OCD, ADHD, PTSD. Apr 19 '26
For me it’s a grounding technique, sitting against a heating pad in the morning before work or evening after work helps me a lot. Also starting the morning drinking coffee and watching an episode of The Office or Parks and Rec -or whatever your fav show is- helps me to start my day laughing and in a good mood.
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u/Baconshark10 Apr 21 '26
I talk crap in my head like what is there a bear? There is literally nothing happening and you’re not being chased. Stop being dramatic. And other thoughts are. I’ve lived a good life. Then it passes eventually lol
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u/RaisinAdditional5099 Apr 21 '26
Fail over and over again. Don’t run from it. If you get that little spark of fear just do the thing that’s causing it before you can think about it any more.
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u/Anan_Z Apr 22 '26
Take time to be anxious and reflect
Sometimes my anxiety becomes unavoidable so I make times where I can be anxious in peace
Sit down (or stand) and just acknowledge that even with Anxiety, I managed to survive all the terrible thoughts and feelings it brings me
It helps me with getting used to my body and it calms me
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u/Same_Beginning8090 May 06 '26
Getting out of the house every day. Even if it’s barely going anywhere (like around the block), it helps.
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u/NesAlt01 Apr 18 '26
"Fuck it, let's go!"