Anxiety
When the body is tense and the mind lives in a possible future.
How it usually shows up
- Shallow breathing
- Looping thoughts about the future
- Hard to sit still
What is happening
Anxiety is a reaction to imagined danger. The mind builds scenarios, the body prepares for a threat that is not here. Arguing with anxious thoughts rarely helps; returning to the body and the present moment works faster.
The goal is not to remove anxiety but to stop fuelling it. A longer exhale, physical sensation and contact with the space around you send the nervous system a signal of safety.
Three first steps right now
- Make the exhale longer than the inhale for 5–7 cycles.
- Name five objects around you, out loud or silently.
- Feel your feet and the weight of your body on the ground.
Practices that help
Every practice links to a full page with instructions and a timer.
- Breathing practices4–8 breathingAn extended exhale, twice as long as the inhale.5–8 minutes
- Breathing practicesBox breathing 4–4–4–4Квадратное дыхание: вдох, задержка, выдох, задержка.5–10 минут
- MindfulnessThe five senses practiceGrounding through sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.3–5 minutes
- Deep relaxationВизуализация безопасного местаСоздание внутреннего пространства, где спокойно и надёжно.10–20 минут
- MeditationsМедитация на телоВнимание опирается не на мысли, а на живые ощущения тела — тепло, вес, покалывание, контакт с опорой.10–20 минут
- MindfulnessStop — three breathsA micro-practice of three breaths you can do anywhere.30 seconds
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