5 Ways I Calm My Anxiety When My Body Feels Overwhelmed
There are days when my body feels louder than my mind… when the tension gathers in my shoulders, my breath gets shallow, and everything inside me tightens before I even know why. Anxiety, for me, often arrives in my body first. It shows up as pressure, buzzing, heat, or that familiar sense of being “too full” even when nothing is happening on the outside.
Over the years, I’ve learned to meet these moments with tenderness instead of shame. When my body feels overwhelmed, these are the five things that bring me back home to myself… gently, quietly, and without pressure.
Each one is a soft doorway to calm. A ritual. A reminder that I’m still here.
1. I Start With My Joy Box (Rest Ritual)
When anxiety spikes, my mind wants productivity… but my body wants stillness. My Joy Box Ritual has become my soft landing place, a curated little refuge filled with comfort items, grounding tools, and reminders of what soothes me.
It helps me transition out of “fight or flight” and back into a slower rhythm. It’s cozy, sensory, and calming in the most practical, embodied way.
You can explore my full Joy Box setup here:
👉 The Joy Box, Rest Ritual & The Art of Creative Recovery
2. I Read… Slowly, Softly, Without Rules
Reading is one of the few things that settles both my body and my mind. It’s familiar, comforting, and immersive without asking too much of me. When anxiety takes over, I reach for books like I’m reaching for warm hands in the dark.
I light a candle, sit somewhere cozy, and let myself slip into another world. Not to escape but to breathe differently. To soften my edges.
If you need inspiration for creating a reading ritual of your own, I shared mine here:
👉 The Ritual of Reading: How to Create a Cozy Reading Experience
3. I Make My Favorite Tea
There’s a moment right between pouring the water and taking the first sip where everything in me settles just a little. One of my go-to blends when anxiety is loud is my Lavender Earl Grey. It feels like a steadying spell in a teacup. Steam, warmth, scent, ritual — it all works together to relax the body enough to let the mind breathe again.
If you want to try it or make your own cozy tea ritual, you can read about it here:
👉 Lavender Earl Grey: A Steadying Spell in a Teacup
4. I Journal the Rush Out of My Body
Sometimes anxiety wants expression, not suppression. So I grab my notebook and write without rules… messy, fast, honest. I don’t worry about making sense. I just let the anxious energy move through ink instead of through my nervous system. Journaling gets the swirling thoughts out of my mind so I can hear myself again. Even a few minutes helps.
Try prompts like:
“My body feels…”
“What I’m afraid to admit is…”
“If my anxiety could speak, it would say…”
“What I need right now is…”
No judgment. No perfection. Just release.
5. I Listen to My Anxiety-Releasing Meditation
Sometimes my mind needs a voice to guide my thoughts. Something steady. Something soft. Something that guides me out of the overwhelm instead of asking me to figure it out alone.
That’s why I created my Releasing Anxiety Meditation for myself first, and for anyone who needs a moment to breathe again. It’s gentle, grounding, and intentionally crafted to help your nervous system settle when everything feels too loud.
If you want to add it to your own care rituals, you can find it here:
👉 Releasing Anxiety Meditation – $9
If you’re reading this because your body feels overwhelmed lately, I want you to know you’re not alone. Anxiety doesn’t mean you’re failing. It doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your body is asking for care, and you deserve to listen to it.
I hope these gentle tools give you a few new ways to come back to yourself. One breath. One sip. One page. One moment at a time.
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