21 Days to Less Anxiety

Did we forget to warn you? This 21-day meditation journey comes with side effects — like more clarity, greater peace of mind, and fewer anxious thoughts. We hope you’ve experienced all these and more over the past three weeks.

Though we’ve reached the final day of our series, don’t stop now. Keep up your practice to continue discovering new benefits — and new resources to help you when anxiety strikes. You can continue to explore the meditations here on Roundglass Living. We also put together this visual meditation guide to help you remember the techniques we've covered. Print and hang it at your desk or save it to your devices for instant soothing. 

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5 Quick Ways to Calm Your Mind

It can be difficult to focus or enjoy life when you’re feeling anxious. These practices can help quiet a racing mind — both instantly and over the long term. Here’s a quick refresher.

1. Repeat an Affirmation

Affirmations are powerful. Try repeating these phrases to ease your mind instantly. You can also come up with your own affirmation.

• “I feel calm, safe, and at peace.”
• “I believe in myself and my capabilities.”
• “My anxiety is melting away, leaving my body.”

2. Do a Few Rounds of Box Breathing

Box breathing — also known as squared breathing — is a deep, paced breathing exercise that can help you relax in stressful situations and improve focus and concentration.

Try this whenever you feel anxious:

• Inhale to a count of 4
• Hold your breath in for a count of 4
• Exhale to a count of 4
• Hold your breath out for a count of 4

3. Use the STOP Method

STOP is an acronym that can help you become mindfully aware and calm. The next time you’re caught in a cycle of overthinking:

S: Stop whatever you're doing.

T: Take a few deep breaths.

O: Observe what's happening within and around you.

P: Proceed feeling more present and aware.

4. Try a Visualization

Visualizing nature is a powerful way to relax and clear your mind. Whenever your mind is clouded by worries, try this visualization to feel more at peace almost instantly:

“Imagine sitting by a stream. Place each thought on a leaf and let it float away.”

5. Scan Your Body

A body scan is a practice that trains your attention to focus on just one thing at a time. It helps you get out of your anxious mind and focus on the sensations of the body instead. All you have to do is:

“Notice the sensations in your body, one area at a time.”

Ready to test your learning? Tap here to take a short quiz.