The Blog

A Simple Grounding Practice for When Anxiety Spikes

emotional healing nervous system regulation Sep 28, 2025

We’ve all had those moments where anxiety seems to come out of nowhere and hijacks the body. Your heart races, your breath gets shallow, and it feels like your mind is spinning out of control. When that happens, it can be hard to remember that you’re actually safe.

That’s where a super simple grounding practice comes in. This one takes less than a minute, and it can help bring you back into your body and send a clear signal to your nervous system: you can soften, you’re okay.

The Practice Step-by-Step

Place one hand on your chest.
Place your other hand on your belly.
Inhale slowly, breathing into the hand on your belly—let your belly gently rise.
Exhale slowly, maybe even letting out a soft sigh.
Repeat a few times.

That’s it. Nothing fancy. Just a gentle, steady way of telling your body: “Hey, I’ve got you.”

Why This Helps

When anxiety takes over, your body shifts into fight-or-flight mode. Your breath gets shallow and your system thinks it’s in danger—even if you’re just sitting on your couch.

By slowing down your breath and feeling your hands on your body, you’re giving your nervous system a cue of safety. The belly breath helps calm your stress response, while the sigh on the exhale tells your body it’s time to release tension.

Personally, I love this practice because it’s something I can do anywhere—before a meeting, in the car (parked, of course), or even when I wake up in the middle of the night. It always helps me feel more grounded and present.

Try It With Me

I recorded a short version of this practice so you can follow along.

Come back to it anytime you need a reset.

Want More Practices Like This?

Your nervous system is your anchor. The more you give it small moments of calm, the more resilient and grounded you’ll feel day to day.

If you’d like more somatic practices like this, I’d love to invite you into the Somatic Peace Project—my space where I share short, accessible practices to help you feel calmer, safer, and more at home in your body.