Body Based Coping Tools For Anxiety

May 28

Written By Jessica Rosenbrook

Sometimes the best way to calm your mind is to start with your body. These tools help regulate your nervous system from the outside in.

Movement That Grounds You

1. Stretch slowly and notice each muscle.

2. Shake out your limbs for 30 seconds (like animals do after stress).

3. Take a short walk and count your steps or match breathing to footsteps.

Even just standing up and rolling your shoulders can help reset your system.

Source: van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score.

Cold Water or Ice

1. Splash cold water on your face.

2. Hold an ice cube in your hand.

3. Place a cool cloth on the back of your neck.

This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, your body’s natural calming mechanism.

Source: Linehan, M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

1. Tense one muscle group at a time (e.g., feet, legs, stomach).

2. Hold for 5–7 seconds, then release slowly.

3. Notice the difference between tension and release.

This helps burn off excess anxious energy.

Source: Bernstein & Borkovec (1973). Progressive Relaxation Training.

Gentle Self-Contact

- Place a hand on your chest or over your heart.

- Gently hold your own hands.

- Cross your arms and apply a light pressure—like a self-hug.

These motions can offer physical reassurance and send calming signals to the brain.

Source: Dana, D. (2018). The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy.

Sound and Vibration

- Hum or sing to stimulate the vagus nerve.

- Try soft music or binaural beats (different beat in left and right ear).

- Use a weighted object or vibrating item (like a sound pillow or massager).

These help your body feel grounded and rhythmically soothed.

Rhythmic Breathing with Movement

- Combine breath and movement:

- Inhale with arms rising

- Exhale with arms lowering

- Try yoga poses that match breath pace.

- Rocking gently while seated can also have a soothing effect.

References

van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.

Ogden, P., Minton, K., & Pain, C. (2006). Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy. W. W. Norton & Company.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

Siegel, D. J. (2010). The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician’s Guide to Mindsight and Neural Integration. W. W. Norton & Company.

For educational purposes only. Not a substitute for professional or emergency care.

Jessica Rosenbrook