Feeling anxious? This simple practice can help to calm and soothe instantly

There’s no denying it, the world is a crazy place right now. For the past few months we’ve all been inundated with scary news reports, stories of people getting ill plus the added stress of trying to take care of ourselves and continue to do our jobs, look after our families and support our loved ones.

What we’re trying to say is that if you’ve been feeling anxious and a bit frazzled, it’s totally normal and you are absolutely not alone. While we would always advocate that you speak to your GP if your feelings of anxiety and stress are becoming overwhelming or having a negative impact on your daily life, here is a handy little exercise you can try to help ease that acute sense of panic.

Firstly, excuse yourself for ten minutes and go somewhere that you can really relax in private. Sit down, get comfortable and just allow yourself to settle.

Take a few deep breaths (the deepest breaths you’ve taken all day). Remind yourself that you are safe.

Now, when you feel ready, close your eyes. Start to focus on what you can hear. You are now going to stay put, eyes closed and breathing deeply, until you can discern five distinct, separate noises. Allow yourself to relax as you ask yourself: ‘What can I hear right now?’ You might hear the road outside your house, someone shouting in the distance, a bird singing, your family moving in the house somewhere. Breathe deeply and allow the sounds to wash over you, naming each different sound as you hear it. Remember – you’re picking out five separate sounds.

When you have your five sounds, open your eyes. Next, you’re going to spend a few breaths picking out four things you can see around you. Allow your eyes to pass over the room you’re in and just gently rest on your five things. Again, when you’ve landed on them name them silently to yourself.

Next, we’re looking for three things around you that you can touch. Spend some time exploring these things with your hands and focusing on how they feel. You might touch the carpet, your bed sheets, the t-shirt you’re wearing or a necklace you have on. Continue to breathe deep.

Now we want two things that you can smell. You might find it easier to close your eyes again for this one. Sit silently, breathing deep until you can discern two separate smells.

Lastly, we’re looking for one memory that makes you smile. That’s all. You might like to close your eyes and think of the best moment in your life, or picture the face of a loved one smiling or laughing.

When you feel ready, take another breath and just allow yourself to come back to yourself fully. How do you feel? Chances are you feel better. This technique is called ‘grounding’ and it is regularly recommended by mental health experts to help interrupt the feeling of overwhelm and upset that is so common with anxiety.

Again, if you notice that your feelings of anxiety are getting worse or overwhelming or making it hard for you to enjoy your life or cope, please do speak to your GP.