If you've ever searched online for ways to manage stress and anxiety, chances are you've come across many of the tips in this article.
And yes, some of them may sound familiar. But these practices are not here simply because they are popular on the internet.
They are techniques I have discovered, explored and incorporated into my own life over the years to help me navigate stress, anxiety, overwhelm and difficult emotions.
Some have worked better for me than others, and that's really the point: there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to emotional well-being.
What works for one person may not work for another. The goal isn't to eliminate stress or negative emotions completely — they are a normal part of life. Instead, it's about learning how to regulate ourselves, create some space around difficult emotions and find healthy ways to move through them.
Here are 10 practices that may help:
When you're overwhelmed, your thoughts can start going around in circles.
You replay conversations, anticipate problems, imagine worst-case scenarios and try to solve everything at once.
Journaling can be a simple way to slow that process down and put your thoughts somewhere outside your head.
You don't need to write pages and pages.
Five to ten minutes can be enough to pause and check in with yourself.
Find a quiet place, put your phone away and take a few slow breaths.
Notice what is happening in your body.
Maybe your shoulders feel tense, your chest feels tight or your stomach feels unsettled.
Then start writing.
Don't worry about grammar, structure or whether it makes sense. Just write honestly.
You could start with:
Research on expressive writing is mixed and its benefits vary depending on the population and the type of writing exercise.
So I don't see journaling as a treatment for anxiety, but rather as a simple self-reflection tool that can help create mental space.
Sometimes, seeing your thoughts written down can make them feel a little less overwhelming.
Never underestimate the power of simply going outside.
When anxiety takes over, we can spend a huge amount of time inside our own heads. Walking in nature gives our attention somewhere else to go.
Leave your headphones behind if you can.
Walk slowly.
Notice the trees, the sky, the sound of birds, the temperature of the air and the sensation of your feet touching the ground.
You don't need to turn the walk into a formal meditation. Just be there.
Research suggests that exposure to natural environments and green spaces can have beneficial effects on mood and anxiety, although the quality and design of studies vary.
For me, nature is one of the simplest ways to change my environment when I feel overwhelmed. There is something grounding about stepping away from screens, notifications, traffic and constant stimulation and being surrounded by something alive. You don't always need to find an answer. Sometimes you just need to change your surroundings.
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques, commonly known as "tapping."
EFT developed from Thought Field Therapy (TFT), an approach created by psychologist Roger Callahan. Gary Craig later simplified and developed the technique into the form of EFT that became widely known in the 1990s.
The practice combines elements of focused attention, exposure and cognitive techniques with gentle tapping on specific points of the body.
Common tapping points include:
A typical session starts by identifying the emotion or situation that is causing distress and noticing how intense it feels, for example on a scale from 0 to 10.
You then focus your attention on that feeling while gently tapping through the different points.You might say something like:
"Even though I feel overwhelmed right now, I acknowledge how I feel and allow myself to take a breath."
The idea is not to pretend that everything is fine. It is about acknowledging what you're experiencing while bringing your attention back to the present moment.
Some studies and reviews have found reductions in anxiety following EFT, but the evidence base is still developing, and more research is needed to determine how effective EFT is compared with established psychological treatments.
When something is bothering you, it can be tempting to keep thinking about it until you find a solution. But sometimes, thinking harder is exactly what keeps you stuck. Instead, deliberately shift your attention towards a simple activity with a clear beginning and an end. For example:
The activity doesn't even have to be productive.It can simply bring you joy.Even a few minutes of doing something you enjoy can give your mind some distance from the problem you're dealing with. You may come back to it later with a clearer perspective. And sometimes, the solution becomes easier to see when you stop forcing yourself to find it.
Your mind is constantly creating images, scenarios and predictions.
So why not deliberately give it something calming to focus on?
Visualization can be as simple as closing your eyes and imagining yourself somewhere you feel safe, calm and comfortable.
Picture the environment in detail.
What can you see?
What can you hear?
What does the air feel like?
What sensations do you notice in your body?
You can also combine visualization with slow breathing, body awareness and gentle movements.
Meditation and mindfulness-based interventions have been studied extensively, and systematic reviews suggest they can help reduce anxiety symptoms, although the results vary depending on the type and duration of the intervention.
Sophrology can also be interesting if you enjoy a more structured approach. It combines elements such as breathing, body awareness, gentle movements, relaxation and visualization.
The important thing is finding a practice that feels natural enough for you to actually do it regularly.
Sometimes, the best stress-management technique is simply not being alone with what you're going through. Having people around you who are willing to listen without immediately judging, fixing or minimizing your experience can make a huge difference.Look for relationships where you can say:
"I'm having a difficult day."
without feeling that you have to explain or justify every emotion. A supportive social circle doesn't mean surrounding yourself with people who are positive all the time.
It means having people who are:
And remember: being supportive doesn't mean absorbing someone else's problems either.
Healthy relationships also include boundaries.
Sometimes you don't need someone to solve the problem.
You simply need someone who can listen.
Sound can have a powerful influence on our emotional state.
When you're stressed, try listening to music, nature sounds, instrumental music, ambient sounds or any type of audio that personally makes you feel calmer.
You can find thousands of relaxation playlists on YouTube, Spotify and other platforms.
Research on music-based interventions suggests that music can help reduce anxiety, although the effects vary depending on the type of music, intervention and context.
You may also come across content describing certain sounds or emotions as "high frequency" or "low frequency."
I personally like this language as a way of describing how an emotional state feels, but it is important to distinguish between metaphor and science.
There is currently no established scientific scale showing that emotions such as love, gratitude or joy literally vibrate at specific frequencies.
So rather than worrying about finding the "perfect frequency", I would suggest something much simpler: Find the sounds that make you feel good.
Sometimes you're not emotionally overwhelmed.
You're simply exhausted.
And when you're exhausted, everything can feel more difficult than it actually is.
If your schedule allows it, a short nap can be a useful reset.
Research has found that brief naps can improve alertness and aspects of cognitive performance, particularly following insufficient nighttime sleep.
For many people, a short nap of around 10–20 minutes can be a practical option.
Potential benefits include:
The key word here is short.
Sometimes your body isn't asking for another productivity hack.
It's asking for rest.
This one sounds obvious, but it may be one of the most important.
When you're stressed, sleep is often one of the first things to suffer.
And then lack of sleep can make stress, concentration and emotional regulation even harder.
It can quickly become a cycle.
Creating a simple bedtime routine can help signal to your brain that the day is coming to an end.
For example:
One habit I personally find helpful is not keeping my phone in bed with me.
Put it on your desk, across the room or, if possible, outside the bedroom.
Your bed should ideally be associated with rest — not emails, social media, work, news and endless scrolling.
Sometimes improving your sleep environment is one of the simplest forms of self-care.
We breathe all day without thinking about it.
But when we're stressed or anxious, our breathing can change.
It may become faster, shallower or more irregular.
Learning to deliberately slow your breathing can create a small pause between the emotion and your reaction.
One technique you can try is box breathing, also called square breathing:
If holding your breath feels uncomfortable, don't force it.
You can simply focus on making your exhalation slightly longer and slower than your inhalation.
For example:
Inhale for 4 → exhale for 6.
The exact numbers are less important than finding a slow, comfortable rhythm.
Research suggests that controlled breathing interventions can reduce anxiety and stress, although studies use a variety of different breathing protocols and more large-scale research is still needed.
I particularly like practicing breathing and meditation in the morning, even for just 5–10 minutes.
Before checking emails. Before opening social media. Before letting the outside world decide what kind of day you're going to have.
Just a few quiet minutes to breathe, stretch, meditate or sit with yourself can create a completely different starting point.
Stress management isn't about finding one magical technique.
It's about building a toolbox.
Some days, journaling will help.
Other days, you may need to go for a walk, listen to music, call a friend, take a nap or simply breathe for five minutes.
And sometimes, none of these techniques will be enough.
That's okay too.
Persistent, severe or disabling anxiety may require professional support.
These practices are tools for everyday stress management and are not intended to replace appropriate medical or mental-health care.
The most important thing is to start paying attention to yourself.
What makes you feel calmer?
What helps you reconnect with your body?
What helps you stop spiraling?
What gives you a little more energy or perspective?
Start there.
You don't need to transform your entire life overnight.
Sometimes, the first step is simply taking five minutes to breathe, going outside, writing down what you're feeling or doing something that brings you joy.
And sometimes, five minutes is enough to change the direction of your entire day.