Anxiety is felt in the body, so many tools to calm it work through it too. These techniques don't replace therapy, but they can help in a moment of arousal:
1. 4-6 breathing
Breathe in counting to 4 and out counting to 6. Lengthening the exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the «brake».
2. 5-4-3-2-1 grounding
Name 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you touch, 2 you smell and 1 you taste. It brings you back to the here and now.
3. Cold temperature
Cold water on the wrists or face helps quickly lower physiological arousal.
4. Naming what you feel
Telling yourself «this is anxiety and it will pass» reduces its intensity. What we name, we manage better.
If anxiety is frequent or limits you, working on its root in therapy makes the difference. I'd be glad to support you.
