5 grounding exercises for anxiety, anywhere

Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. Slowly working through your senses pulls attention out of anxious thoughts and into the room you're actually in.

Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4. Repeat for four rounds. The counting gives your mind something concrete to focus on while your body's stress response settles.

Press your feet firmly into the floor, or your hands flat against a wall or table. Notice the pressure and texture. Physical sensation is hard for an anxious mind to argue with.

Hold something cold (an ice cube, a cold drink can) or splash cool water on your wrists or face. A sudden temperature change interrupts a spiralling thought pattern.

Say, quietly or in your head: "I'm noticing anxiety right now." Naming the feeling, rather than fighting it, often reduces its intensity within a minute or two.