Let’s be real: anxiety doesn’t care how many gratitude lists you write or how many times you meditate before breakfast. Some days, your heart is racing and your brain feels like it’s running five tabs at once, and no, you’re not even on caffeine yet.
If you’ve been riding the anxiety rollercoaster lately (same), here are 4 things I come back to when I need to breathe, reset, and not spiral into the void:
1. Moving your body (even when you don’t feel like it)
I know, I know. “Exercise helps anxiety” is not exactly groundbreaking. But hear me out, it’s not about burning calories or doing a full HIIT class while trying not to cry. It’s about shifting energy.
Whether it’s a long walk, a slow yoga flow, or dancing around your room to your old Spotify playlists from 2016, movement is medicine. When anxiety is living in your chest like a weighted balloon, sweating it out (even just a little) can feel like releasing the valve.
Pro tip: Don’t overthink the workout. Put on your comfiest set, cue up a playlist, and just move until your brain stops buzzing so loud.
2. Matcha over meltdown
Matcha is my personality at this point, and not just because it’s cute on Instagram. Something about the ritual of making it calms me down: the slow whisking, the warm mug, the soft, earthy taste. It’s like giving my nervous system a little hug.
And yes, matcha has L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes calm and focus without the jittery chaos of coffee. So if caffeine makes your anxiety worse (welcome to the club), switching to matcha might be your new best friend.
Bonus: It feels fancy. Even if you’re just drinking it in pajamas with yesterday’s mascara still on.
3. Staring at the ocean (or anything that makes you feel small in a good way)
You ever just… go to the beach and let the ocean roast you in the best way?
“You’re one tiny human. That’s why you don’t have all the answers. Take a breath.”
Staring at the ocean reminds me that I’m allowed to let go. I don’t need to be in control of everything. I don’t have to “fix” how I feel in 5 minutes.
If you don’t live near the ocean, go find a mountain, a sunset, a tree, or even just the sky at night. Look up. Breathe. Let it remind you that you’re part of something bigger, and that your anxious brain doesn’t have to carry the whole world.
4. Rest, not just sleep
When you’re anxious, resting can feel like a waste of time. Like if you’re not actively doing something, you’re falling behind. But that’s exactly what anxiety wants you to think.
Real rest, the kind that refuels you, not just knocks you out, looks like giving yourself permission to do nothing and not feel guilty about it.
It’s putting your phone on airplane mode for an hour. Laying on the couch and listening to music. Journaling without an agenda. Saying “no” to things that drain you. Watching something light and silly with zero intellectual value. You get the picture.
Because here’s the truth: you’re not lazy for needing a break. You’re human.
And anxiety thrives when we treat ourselves like machines.
If your anxiety feels heavy right now, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to overhaul your life to start feeling better. Start small. Pick one thing. Give yourself a moment to pause.
Move a little.
Sip something calming.
Stare at something beautiful.
Rest without guilt.
Because feeling better isn’t about having a perfect routine. It’s about creating moments of peace that you can actually stick with.
And sometimes, that starts with choosing a salad, a matcha, and a walk over doom scrolling.
the ward method 
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