Skip to main content
Close Close

Congratulations
You're on the list.

Make sure to check your spam folder so that our emails are always delivered into your inbox.
xo, Kourt
Give your inbox
and your life

the Poosh it needs.
By clicking SIGN UP, you agree to receive emails from Poosh and agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Free Shipping on All Domestic Orders.
  • HEALTH + WELLNESS
  • LIFE + STYLE
  • HOME + ENTERTAINING
  • KKB
Poosh
  • instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
  • Shop
  • search
  • search
  • body
  • diy
  • fitness
  • Giving Back
  • health
  • mind
  • Relationships
  • Sexual Wellness
  • soul
Did You Know…Boredom is Good for You?
Did You Know…Boredom is Good for You?
Vagina Skincare—It’s a Thing, and I Tried It
Vagina Skincare—It’s a Thing, and I Tried It
How Can I Exhaust My Brain So I Stop Obsessing?
How Can I Exhaust My Brain So I Stop Obsessing?
Does Weed Make You Horny? The Poosh Team Weighs In
Does Weed Make You Horny? The Poosh Team Weighs In
A Week of Snackable Workouts
A Week of Snackable Workouts
What’s In My Control vs. Out of My Control
What’s In My Control vs. Out of My Control
  • Adulting
  • beauty
  • guides
  • Hacks
  • style
  • travel
Should I Wax My Own Butthole?
Should I Wax My Own Butthole?
Under-$50 Date Ideas
Under-$50 Date Ideas
How to Prevent and Minimize Pesky Chest Wrinkles
How to Prevent and Minimize Pesky Chest Wrinkles
How to Catch Lucky Girl Syndrome
How to Catch Lucky Girl Syndrome
Derma Rolling vs. Derma Stamping
Derma Rolling vs. Derma Stamping
Hacks to Stop Procrastinating 
Hacks to Stop Procrastinating 
  • decor
  • entertaining
  • kids
  • motherhood
  • Playlists
  • recipes
Easy Meals I Make When I’m Feeling SAD
Easy Meals I Make When I’m Feeling SAD
Surya Spa’s Ayurvedic Mung Bean Pancakes With Stewed Fruit
Surya Spa’s Ayurvedic Mung Bean Pancakes With Stewed Fruit
Charcoal Latte Recipe Inspired by Kim Kardashian
Charcoal Latte Recipe Inspired by Kim Kardashian
Comfy-Cozy Vegan Pesto Whirls
Comfy-Cozy Vegan Pesto Whirls
New Year, New (Anti-Aging) Matcha Latte Recipe
New Year, New (Anti-Aging) Matcha Latte Recipe
Kourtney’s Hormone-Balancing Organic Blueberry Smoothie Recipe
Kourtney’s Hormone-Balancing Organic Blueberry Smoothie Recipe
  • family
  • kourtney
Inside the 2022 Kardashian Jenner Christmas Eve Party
Inside the 2022 Kardashian Jenner Christmas Eve Party
Behind Closed Doors: The Kardashian/Jenners’ 2022 Gift Wrapping  
Behind Closed Doors: The Kardashian/Jenners’ 2022 Gift Wrapping  
A Peek at all of Kourt’s Favorite Nostalgic Christmas Decor
A Peek at all of Kourt’s Favorite Nostalgic Christmas Decor
The Makeup Tips Kourt Learned from Kylie
The Makeup Tips Kourt Learned from Kylie
The Under-$25 Kettle Kendall Makes her Apple tea in
The Under-$25 Kettle Kendall Makes her Apple tea in
The 2022 Kardashian and Jenner Holiday Gift Guide
The 2022 Kardashian and Jenner Holiday Gift Guide
What are you looking for?

Menu

  • Shop
  • HEALTH + WELLNESS
    • body
    • diy
    • fitness
    • Giving Back
    • health
    • mind
    • Relationships
    • Sexual Wellness
    • soul
  • HOME + ENTERTAINING
    • decor
    • entertaining
    • kids
    • motherhood
    • Playlists
    • recipes
  • KKB
    • family
    • kourtney
  • LIFE + STYLE
    • Adulting
    • beauty
    • guides
    • Hacks
    • style
    • travel
  • Newsletter
instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
Hacks

Hacks That Can  HELP WITH ANXIETY

By Poosh
share on pinterest share on facebook share on twitter Share on Flipboard share by email
 Photo credit @endlesslyloveclub
@endlesslyloveclub

While there’s no magic pill to cure anxiety, there are ways to ease the overwhelming feeling and halt it from escalating the minute it starts to kick in. How, you ask? Ahead, we’re sharing expert-approved tips that can help calm the mind and body during anxiety-filled moments. We’ve also added a couple of hacks that help the Poosh team as well. 

Read through and test out each example to see which one works for you. Every body and brain is different so not all will work for everyone, but they are good tools to keep on hand and experiment with as you find coping skills that are right for you. 

Wellness specialist, Erica Spiegelman, shares, “Let’s face it, experiencing anxiety can feel debilitating at times for some, to just feeling like a nagging annoyance for others. From the constant rumination and ‘what if’ scenarios, to the physical toll it takes on your body—getting a break from the symptoms of anxiety is difficult but possible. As an addiction counselor and wellness specialist, I know that anxiety is common and can be managed with healthy coping and tools! We all deal with anxiety to some degree, and you are certainly NOT alone. Here are a couple of anxiety hacks that are effective for my clients, and I am happy to share these with you!” 

For Your Breath and Body:

Pause and Take Deep Breaths
Erica reminds us, “When we get nervous or upset, our breathing gets shallower, our heart beats faster, and it’s harder to get a deep breath. And if you’re already prone to anxiety then you know how critical it is to breathe correctly. Breathing exercises help slow down your thoughts, reduce stress, and alleviate anxiety.

  1. Put one hand on your heart and one hand on your stomach.
  2. Feel your feet planted firmly on the ground.
  3. Take a deep breath in, hold it for five seconds, then breathe out every drop of air.
  4. Repeat until you feel grounded in the present moment.”

Anxiety coach, Amanda Huggins, adds to the breathing conversation. “The physical experience of anxiety is connected to our fight-or-flight response. When we’re anxious, our body tells our mind that we are unsafe. The heart rate increases, the body is flooded with cortisol, and the mind begins searching for more validation for our anxiety.

The first place to cut in on that ‘spin cycle’ is the breath! I know how annoying it is when someone tells you to ‘just breathe’ when you’re anxious, but it’s actually great advice. When we take deep, conscious breaths, we can activate the vagus nerve, which regulates our stress response. As we deeply exhale, the vagus nerve is triggered and a tranquilizing substance called vagusstoff is secreted—vagusstoff tells the heart to slooooow down, and when our heart rate subsides, the fight or flight response lessens.
I call this ‘triage’: get the most activated part of your anxiety under control first. When we start with the body, sorting through our thoughts becomes a little bit easier.

You don’t have to go into a full-blown, crystal-laden meditation to stimulate the vagus nerve. A few deep, concerted breaths is an excellent start. Here’s my favorite exercise, called box breathing.

Box Breathing 
A simple, ‘eyes-open’ meditation that you can practice without anyone even noticing. If you need a visual, the breathing pattern is in the shape of a box: four even sides to the breath.

What to do: Inhale for four seconds, hold the breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, hold the breath for four seconds. Repeat 12-15 times or longer, as needed. 

When box breathing is practiced, it’s normal for negative thoughts to still pop up at first—watch them, and allow them to pass. This is a practice of ‘getting back into your body,’ which will ultimately help you to respond differently when a foreign feeling (a pit in the stomach, racing heart, heat, etc.) comes up. Noticing the foreign feeling, giving yourself a moment (a breath, a beat, even a filler word like ‘well…’ to pass a second or two) will help you to recollect and come back to your center.”

For Your Mind:

Get Out of Your Head and Put Your Thoughts on Paper 
Erica shares, “The thoughts circling in your head need an interruption. One way to interrupt that cycle of worry is to get the thoughts out of your head, and writing is such an important and effective way. When I hear my clients cycling through worries, I tell them to write a list of everything that’s making them feel anxious and worried. 

I then ask them to ask themselves:
‘Is this true?’ If it is, then ask yourself, ‘What can I do about it?’
If there’s nothing they can do about it, then they can focus on what they CAN let go of in the situation.”

Practice Truth vs. Story
Amanda has a similar approach: “When we’re experiencing anxiety, a lot of our thoughts are likely not grounded in reality. They’re stories, often grounded in a misperception of our worth … and those stories can be pretty sneaky. In order to engage fully in self-inquiry and anxiety management, we’ve got to start with asking the right questions of ourselves. 

Getting into a practice of ‘spot-treating’ anxiety via Truth vs. Story is a great way to get more honest with yourself about the root of your anxiety. In its simplest form, Truth vs. Story is gut-checking your emotional response: is what I’m reacting to true? What is the story I’m adding? It may sound simple, but anxiety tells us to skirt over truth—when we make it a point to consciously check in with ourselves, we get an opportunity to begin depressurizing.

If you want to go a little deeper (and can spare a few extra minutes), here are four questions that you can use to ‘spot-treat’ anxiety when it comes up via Truth vs. Story. For these questions, I encourage you to journal on them (or use the Notes app on your phone!).

What’s triggering my anxiety right now? Get super-specific. Was it an interaction that reminded you of something from your past? Was it a specific person?
What story am I adding here? Did you go down the ‘OMG that person totally hates me’ rabbit hole again? Or did you maybe make an assumption about something (aka ‘future-trip’) and now that false narrative is affecting your day?
What is the truth instead? Come back to the truth, baby. It’s already in you.
What simple action can I take to change my current state? Sometimes, it’s as simple as choosing different thoughts. Sometimes, it might be a location change, a job change, a relationship change … but start looking for action steps.”

Clearly Call Out Your Anxiety 
Amanda also adds, “When you feel anxious, take three minutes to stop, breathe, and see if you can identify the root emotion. You don’t have to know what to do about it or ‘fix’ it yet, just put your awareness on what you’re feeling. For example:

‘I’m experiencing impostor syndrome.’
‘I’m having a day of relationship anxiety.’
‘I’m experiencing shame and self-judgment right now.’

Notice those two words? ‘Experiencing’ and ‘having.’ When you clearly call out your anxiety, separate it from yourself. YOU are not your anxiety. You are an incredible human having a big emotion—don’t get it twisted! Calling out your anxiety can begin paving the way for the next steps.” 

For Mind and Body:

Practice Positive Thinking and Move Your Body 
Erica’s last tip reminds us to actively move our body during waves of anxiety. “If you’re feeling anxious, don’t sit still … move. Go outside and get some fresh air. Put on your earbuds and start listening to your favorite relaxing music while going for a brisk walk. Try to take your mind away from what’s bothering you. Focus as you walk on positive thoughts that will make you feel safe, accepted, loved, and honored. When we create a practice of gratitude, we allow positive thoughts to follow, which will, in turn, rewire your brain for healthy, positive thinking habits. When you’re feeling balanced, reflect on how fortunate and blessed you are.”

Another way to distract your anxious thoughts and get the blood flowing throughout your body is to practice the feet up pose. Our managing editor, Michelle Scanga, has done this for years. “Sure, you’re not moving your body, but there’s something about elevating your feet and hugging your legs tight to your body during a spurt of anxiety that feels so calming and relaxing.” 

Michelle also adds, “I haven’t tried these fidget rings yet, but I saw them and I’m very intrigued. If fidgeting helps relax your mind from getting to a place of high anxiety, give them a try.” 

“Anxiety isn’t a life sentence—it’s a call to create loving, long-term change. It’s a call to embrace nurturing *you* into the fullest expression possible … but you can’t do that if you’re not actually acknowledging what’s coming up,” Amanda ends us with. 

Shop our mental health collection:

Shop 100-Day Happiness Planner
Shop Cortisol Balancer
Shop Tea Strips - 25 pack
Shop The Five Minute Journal
Shop Calm
Shop Destress Ade
Shop Uplifting Gua Sha Heart
Shop The Anti-Anxiety Notebook
Shop The Human Being Journal
Shop Tuck Me In Balm
Shop The Best Year Journal
Shop The Five Minute Journal - For Kids
Shop The Five Minute Journal Bundle - For Adults & Kids
Shop Spring Paisley Sleep Mask

Erica Spiegelman is a wellness specialist, recovery counselor, and author of the new book The Rewired Life (2018) as well as Rewired: A Bold New Approach to Addiction & Recovery(2015), the Rewired Workbook (2017), the Rewired Coloring Book (2017), all published by Hatherleigh Press. Erica holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Arizona and is a California State Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (CADAC)-II from UCLA. For more information, visit Erica’s website or follow @@Erica Spiegelman on Instagram.

Amanda Huggins is a professional anxiety coach, keynote speaker, published author, and content creator. After spending nearly a decade in the startup space, Amanda escaped her own fears to follow her calling for helping people break past their own internal barriers of self-worth, fear, and anxiety. Her unique blend of spiritual, scientific, and tactical approaches has helped hundreds of clients move beyond their anxious mind and into a state of deep, holistic success. Follow her on TikTok and Instagram for more.

The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that Poosh, LLC (“Poosh”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. The opinions and content included in the article are the views of the interviewee only, and Poosh does not endorse or recommend any such content or information, or any product or service mentioned in the article. You understand and agree that Poosh shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.

Up next, be the first to know our weekly content and sign up for our Poosh newsletter.

You may also like...

Go to article 10 Morning Hacks to Live By
Hacks

10 Morning Hacks to Live By

Go to article Digestion Hacks to Make Things Easier on Your Gut
health

Digestion Hacks to Make Things Easier on Your Gut

Related Articles

Goes to article How to Catch Lucky Girl Syndrome
mind

How to Catch Lucky Girl Syndrome

Goes to article Hacks to Stop Procrastinating 
Hacks

Hacks to Stop Procrastinating 

Goes to article Sustainable Gift Wrap Ideas
decor

Sustainable Gift Wrap Ideas

Goes to article How to Reverse a Tech Neck Hump 
body

How to Reverse a Tech Neck Hump 

Goes to article This Eye Mask Makes me Look Like I’m not Extremely Online
beauty

This Eye Mask Makes me Look Like I’m not Extremely Online

Goes to article Closet Organizing Tips for a Small Space
Hacks

Closet Organizing Tips for a Small Space

Goes to article Why you Should Embrace Your Cravings 
Hacks

Why you Should Embrace Your Cravings 

Goes to article Should you be Skin Cycling?
beauty

Should you be Skin Cycling?

  • About
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • California Privacy Rights
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Accessibility

Keep in Touch

instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
Reviewed by Allyant for Accessibility
  • © poosh, llc
    All Rights Reserved