13 Activities To Help With Anxiety Recommended by a Therapist
Takeaway: If anxiety has been running the show lately, here are therapist-approved activities you can actually use in real life—not just the vague “do deep breathing” advice you’ve heard a thousand times. Each tool comes with a quick explanation of why it works and simple steps so you can try it right away. Think of this as your anxiety starter pack, filled with activities that help with anxiety : practical, doable, and designed to help you feel a little more human today.
As a therapist, I often have clients who reach out when their anxiety becomes intolerable. I recently had a client tell me that it was like his body was just constantly vibrating. Not being able to sleep or maintain focus are also common complaints that I hear.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your thoughts, overwhelmed by your symptoms, or unsure how to calm anxiety when it spikes, you’re in good company. I’m a therapist who helps high-achieving, thoughtful, anxious humans learn to manage stress, worry less, and sleep better. One thing I know for sure is this: anxiety responds best to tools that are practical, doable, and grounded in how your nervous system actually works. A treatment plan that focuses only on changing your negative thoughts can actually worsen anxiety and increase low self esteem.
In this self help guide, you’ll find therapist-recommended anxiety activities for adults that you can use right now, plus strategies for treating anxiety long-term. Whether you have an anxiety disorder (like generalized anxiety disorder) or just find yourself feeling anxious a lot, you'll find something helpful here. Think of this as your anxiety starter pack. It's supportive, realistic, and designed to help you feel a little more human today.
Included in this self help guide
Anxiety activities for immediate relief from anxious thoughts
1. The 3–3–3 Grounding Reset
How to do it:
Look around and name three things you can see, three things you can touch, and three sounds you can hear. Then take one slow deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Bonus points if you do this as a sitting meditation.
Why it helps:
Anxiety pulls your attention into unhelpful thinking about something terrible happening in the future. Grounding practices like this pull you back into your body in the here and now. This exercise, along with other mindfulness exercises, interrupts spiraling thoughts by anchoring your brain to the present moment, which reduces the intensity of anxiety.
Therapist tip:
Don’t worry about doing it perfectly. This meditation can be beneficial for your mental health, even if you're having difficulty focusing
2. The 60-Second Barefoot Break
How to do it:
Stand barefoot (or just in socks) and press your feet firmly into the ground for 60 seconds. Focus on sensation: pressure, temperature, texture.
Why it helps:
This simple sensory meditation, along with other forms of physical activity, helps regulate the amygdala, which is the part of your brain involved in threat detection. When your body feels supported, your nervous system interprets the environment as safer, reducing anxiety. Since anxiety begets anxiety, over time this will help diminish the frequency and intensity that you experience anxiety.
Therapist tip:
If you’re in public, press your hands into your thighs instead. Same effect, less awkward for certain social situations.
3. The Two-Minute “Name What’s True” Exercise
How to do it:
Set a timer for two minutes and describe only what’s true in this exact moment: “I’m sitting on my couch.” “My heart is racing.” “I’m safe enough to notice this.”
Why it helps:
Anxiety loves the what-ifs. This relaxation exercise returns you to what is, calming your nervous system and reducing catastrophizing (a key player in many anxiety disorders).
Therapist tip:
If your brain argues (“But something bad could happen!”), thank that anxious part for trying to protect you — then return to what’s true right now. Trying to fight your brain by telling it not to have unhelpful thoughts tends to only worsen anxiety, not improve it.
Mindfulness exercises to improve mental health
4. Five-Minute Box Breathing
How to do it:
Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat for five minutes.
Why it helps:
This breathing meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and restore” mode) and decreases physiological arousal linked to fear and panic, making it a great way to practice mindfulness.
Therapist tip:
If holding your breath increases anxiety while doing this exercise, skip the holds. If you can, doing this in a comfortable position in a quiet place can help with focus, but it's not necessary.
5. The “Leaves on a Stream” Meditation
How to do it:
Imagine placing each thought on a leaf and watching it float down a stream. Try not to grab at the leaves or try to make them move in a certain way. Just notice.
Why it helps:
This classic ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) exercise reduces the power of anxious thoughts by shifting your relationship with them. You learn to observe your internal experience without fusing with it.
Therapist tip:
Don’t try to empty your mind while doing this exercise. Minds think and your mental health isn't dependent on making that stop. You’re doing it correctly simply by noticing.
6. One-Minute Mindful Hand-Washing
How to do it:
Use hand-washing as a built-in mindful ritual. Pay attention to the temperature, scent, and feel of the water.
Why it helps:
Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean spending time sitting quietly for 20 minutes or conducting a meta analysis of your whole being. Briefly focusing on your senses during the routines of life helps reduce stress throughout the day and supports emotional regulation.
Therapist tip:
Pair this with an affirmation like “I can only do one thing at a time.” It counters the anxious urge to multitask and problem solve your way out of uncomfortable emotions.
Somatic anxiety activities (because not everything has to be a sitting meditation)
7. Physiological Sighs
How to do it:
Take a long inhale, then one quick extra sip of air, followed by a full, slow exhale. Repeat 3–5 times.
Why it helps:
Research from Stanford shows the physiological sigh helps reduce CO₂ levels, which can soothe panic and reduce physical anxiety symptoms, a common concern in various mental health disorders. Reducing these symptoms can help break unhelpful thinking patterns.
Therapist tip:
If you feel dizzy, pause. Your body tells you when you’ve done enough and it's so important to listen to your body while trying to improve your mental health.
8. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
How to do it:
Starting with your feet, gently tense the muscles for 3–5 seconds, then release. Move upward through your body.
Why it helps:
Anxiety often lives in the body as tension. PMR is a great way to practice mindfulness because it teaches your nervous system the difference between tight and relaxed. This helps you release stress more efficiently, improving your mental health. If you're struggling to get enough sleep, this is a great thing to try right before bed. Especially, if you're feeling nervous about not being able to sleep. Folks with anxiety disorders often don't realize how much tension is in their bodies.
Therapist tip:
If tension feels activating, skip the tensing part and focus solely on releasing.
9. The “Shake It Out” Reset
How to do it:
Stand up and shake your hands, arms, shoulders, legs, and jaw for 30–60 seconds.
Why it helps:
Animals naturally discharge excess stress energy through shaking. Humans… do not. But we can. It helps complete the stress cycle and decreases muscle tension. Being physically active helps relieve stress in the body and this mindfulness exercise is a great boost for your mental health when you don't have time for a work out.
Therapist tip:
Yes, it feels silly. But so does being overwhelmed — and this works faster.
How to practice mindfulness with a friend or group
10. Co-Regulation Check-Ins
How to do it:
Sit with someone you trust. Each person shares one thing that feels hard and one thing that feels grounding today.
Why it helps:
Humans regulate through connection. Being witnessed by a safe loved one lowers cortisol, boosts mood, and helps your nervous system settle and reduce anxiety and depression. Those with social anxiety may initially feel scared to open up with this exercise. If that's you, pay attention to the emotions and physical symptoms (like changes in your breath patterns).
Therapist tip:
Choose your people wisely. This is not a strategy for the friend who always tells you to “just relax.” If this activates a social phobia and makes you panic, don't worry--this exercise just isn't for you.
11. Walking + Talking
How to do it:
Invite someone for a short walk and gentle conversation. Keep the pace slow.
Why it helps:
Being physically active regulates the nervous system, while social connection reduces anxious rumination. According to behaviour research, even light movement improves stress resilience, which is great news for people with anxious people.
Therapist tip:
If talking feels too hard, walk together in a quiet place. The movement alone makes this a therapeutic exercise.
Anxiety activities for long-term healing from anxiety disorders
12. Creating a Daily “Nervous System Hygiene” Routine
How to do it:
Choose one small mindfulness exercise (stretching, meditation, journaling, breathing) and practice it at the same time each day.
Why it helps:
Consistent nervous system regulation builds resilience against anxiety and depression. Over time, these practices reduce baseline anxiety symptoms and help you recover from stress more quickly. For people with anxiety disorders, this can take a little longer but is even more important.
Therapist tip:
Think “minimum effective dose.” Two minutes daily beats one hour once a month, which can be an alternative thought process for many of us. So often we can feel a sense of fear that we need to dedicate so much of our lives to mindfulness exercises to see a difference in mood.
13. Sleep-Protecting Habits
How to do it:
Aim for consistent bed/wake times, reduce evening screen exposure, and use calming rituals like relaxation techniques such as dim lighting or warm showers. Before bed can also be a good time to practice mindfulness exercises.
Why it helps:
Sleep and anxiety are deeply interconnected — research shows that poor sleep increases amygdala reactivity, making anxiety worse. Improving sleep supports emotional regulation and reduces symptoms associated with anxiety disorders.
Therapist tip:
If you find yourself experiencing increasing worry or panic at night, keep a bedside “brain dump” notebook.
How to choose the right anxiety therapy activities for you
Not every anxiety meditation works for every person — and that’s normal. Your nervous system has its own history, preferences, and thresholds. Instead of trying everything at once (classic anxious overachiever move), try choosing one or two strategies to practice mindfulness that feel accessible today.
Consider:
What symptoms are loudest — physical tension? racing thoughts? overwhelm?
Whether you’re alone or with someone
How much energy you have
What’s realistic for your current environment
What feels comforting vs. what feels activating
The right meditation is the one you will actually use. As you continue to implement these strategies, you will see a decrease in the symptoms of anxiety disorders (like social anxiety of a sense of increased worry) and depression. Start small, stay curious, and adjust as needed.
Common mistakes people make when trying anxiety activities at home
Even with the best intentions, many people accidentally make anxiety worse when trying at-home coping strategies. Here are some common pitfalls:
Expecting instant results:
If it doesn’t “work” in 30 seconds, people assume they’re doing it wrong. But nervous systems don’t operate on demand — they respond to patterns over time.
Trying too many strategies at once:
Doing five coping activities back-to-back can overwhelm you further. Choose one, practice it gently, and see how your body responds.
Judging the process:
Thoughts like “this shouldn’t be so hard” or “other people don’t struggle like this” create extra mental load. Mindfulness works best without self-criticism.
Using coping skills as avoidance:
Some activities can unintentionally become ways to avoid feelings. Tools are meant to support you, not disconnect you.
Remember: coping strategies are just that — strategies. They help, but they’re not magic tricks. Consistency and compassion matter more than perfection.
When at-home relaxation exercises for anxiety symptoms aren’t enough
While these therapy activities for anxiety can be incredibly supportive, they aren’t a replacement for therapy — especially if anxiety disorders are significantly affecting your relationships, work, or daily functioning.
Signs you may benefit from therapy:
Your anxiety symptoms are getting worse
You’re avoiding people, tasks, or places
You feel overwhelmed most days
You can’t quiet your thoughts enough to rest
You use coping skills but still feel stuck
You want deeper healing, not just short-term tools
Therapy offers personalized support, deeper understanding, and long-term strategies that go beyond quick fixes.
Final thoughts
Anxiety can make even simple moments feel heavy, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. These therapist-approved anxiety exercises offer immediate relief, long-term support, and practical ways to assist in managing anxiety and feel more grounded in your daily life.
I’ve seen clients transform their relationship with anxiety through small, consistent nervous system habits. I recently had client tell me that it's not that she doesn't feel anxious anymore, but her anxiety is no longer the one driving the bus. That’s the goal here, we're not eliminating anxiety entirely, but learning to overcome anxiety with confidence and compassion.
If you’re ready for more personalized support, I’d love to help.
You can schedule an intro call with me and begin the process of managing anxiety and feeling more like yourself again.
