When anxiety spikes, it can feel as though the body has taken over—looping thoughts, racing heart, shallow breath. It can feel nearly impossible to try to think your way out of those moments, logic often isn’t enough. In fact, it sometimes makes things worse.
As Deb Dana’s work on Polyvagal Theory reminds us, anxiety is not a personal failure; it’s the nervous system trying to protect. The most effective way to find relief is not to argue with the mind, but to gently work with the body.
Polyvagal-informed practices focus on helping the nervous system sense safety again. These exercises are simple, discreet, and designed to fit into everyday life.
1. Tracking Support
Notice how your body is being supported right now—the weight of your feet on the ground, the chair beneath you, or the surface you’re leaning against. You don’t need to change your posture. Simply let your attention rest on what’s holding you for a few moments, allowing your nervous system to register steadiness.
2. The Regulating Breath
Without forcing anything, allow the exhale to be slightly longer than the inhale—inhaling for four counts and exhaling for six. Try again, inhaling for five counts and exhaling for seven. This gentle shift supports the vagus nerve and helps the body move out of fight-or-flight.
3. Finding a Resource
While keeping your eyes open, let your attention settle on something nearby that feels neutral or pleasant—a color, a shape, a familiar object. Notice any small sense of ease or stability that arises as you stay with it for a few breaths.
Anxiety can feel consuming, but it is not permanent. Bodies and brains are adaptable. With practice, regulation becomes more accessible. And if life ever feels too overwhelming to navigate alone, accepting support—from a friend, therapist, or trusted professional—is not a failure. It is another wise and human way of helping the nervous system find safety.