I'm A Neuroscientist: These Are The Habits I Swear By To Ease Everyday Anxiety

We know some anxiety is essential—evolutionarily, that nervous energy is meant to protect you from potential predators—but in this day and age, anxiety tends to feel less than protective, sometimes even debilitating. What changed? Well, according to neuroscientist and author of Good Anxiety Wendy Suzuki, Ph.D., the problem is that the volume of everyday anxiety has reached sky-high limits, so we're unable to concentrate on what those feelings are actually trying to say. 

That said, to bring back that protective purpose and make your anxiety work for you, Suzuki says you need to learn how to reduce the volume. "To try and get back to that protective, productive element of anxiety, we first need to learn how to turn it down," she shares on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast.

Sounds simple, but that's exactly what makes it worth your while, says Suzuki. See, anxiety activates the fight-or-flight portion of your nervous system; when you engage in deep and rhythmic breathing, you activate the vagus nerve and turn on your parasympathetic nervous system—which, in turn, can pump the brakes on anxiety. 

"Breathe slowly in, hold, breathe slowly out," advises Suzuki. "That helps activate that de-stressing part of your nervous system." (A solid exercise, but you can find other breathwork techniques for anxiety here.) It's that easy, and you can utilize the practice anywhere you please. 

Another simple trick that has a significant effect: physical activity. We've discussed it once or twice before: Exercise gets your heart pumping, which helps deliver more oxygen to your brain, and multiple studies1 have found that a well-oxygenated brain can help manage anxiety and depression2. "Every time you move your body, you are releasing dopamine, serotonin,3 [and] adrenaline in your brain," Suzuki explains. "It's like giving your brain a bubble bath of fantastic neurochemicals that make you feel better." 

While some good ol' cardio is well and good, Suzuki says even just standing up and walking around when you feel anxious can do the trick. "Studies show that even a single bout of exercise4—going out for a walk, walking around your dining room table, walking up and down the stairs—can decrease anxiety and depression levels," she notes. 

Alas, turning the volume down on anxiety is not enough. You can't just bury these feelings and wish them away—rather, Suzuki says to dissect them. "The next step after turning down the volume is to tune in to those uncomfortable emotions that anxiety brings," she explains. After all, breathwork and exercise (while helpful in the moment) might not be enough to completely banish your anxiety. 

Turning down the volume does make the process easier (you can't think clearly when anxiety is too loud), but the key is to get curious about those anxious thoughts: "Learn what those emotions are telling you," says Suzuki. "What wisdom do they have? What are they telling you about your values that maybe you didn't recognize because you were too busy trying to just get rid of them?" She adds, "There's a lot of value and information in those uncomfortable emotions."