Breaking the Spiral: 3 Techniques I Use to Manage Anxiety
Anxiety spirals are the worst. You know the feeling—your thoughts start looping faster than you can keep up, your chest tightens, and everything feels urgent, overwhelming, and a little bit doomed.
Over the years, I’ve learned to spot the signs early and interrupt the spiral before it fully takes over. These aren’t miracle cures or one-size-fits-all fixes, but they’ve made a huge difference in how I navigate my mental health—and according to science, they might be able to help you, too.
Here are three go-to strategies I keep in my back pocket for when my brain decides to go into overdrive:
1: Quick Mental Math – Hacking the Brain’s Operating System
When anxiety hits, your prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain responsible for rational thinking, decision-making, and emotional regulation—gets temporarily overridden by your limbic system (aka, your survival brain). That’s why you suddenly can’t think clearly when you’re anxious. Your brain is prioritizing escape over logic.
One of the quickest ways I’ve found to switch gears is by doing simple mental math. I’ll start throwing out easy equations in my head:
6 + 1 = 7
7 × 3 = 21
21 – 16 = 5
5 × 5 = 25
Nothing complicated—just enough to nudge my brain back into the present moment and re-engage my rational thought process. It’s like flipping the circuit breaker when the lights start flickering.
2: Bilateral Stimulation Through Movement – Resetting the Nervous System
When I feel the tight grip of anxiety starting to build, I’ve found that movement is magic—but not just any movement. What really works for me is bilateral stimulation, or activities that use both sides of the body in a rhythmic way.
Think:
- Walking
- Biking
- Swimming
- Even tapping your hands or feet in alternating patterns
I love hopping on my e-bike or taking a walk in nature. The left-right motion naturally engages both hemispheres of your brain and promotes integration, which helps get you unstuck from the mental spin cycle. If I can’t get up and walk around, I give myself a ‘butterfly hug;’ I cross my arms on my chest or across my legs then alternate tapping my hands. Using the opposite hand to tap a leg or shoulder helps engage your brain the right way as well.
This technique is also used in therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) because of how effective it is at helping people process stress, trauma, and anxiety. Plus, movement gets your endorphins going and reminds your body that it’s safe—something your nervous system desperately needs when it’s in panic mode.
3: Flow State Through Art – Turning Anxiety into Creative Energy
Sometimes anxiety shows up because our brains have too much energy and no safe outlet. That’s when I turn to creative flow.
Sitting down with my Wacom tablet and creating digital art—with zero expectations or pressure—has become one of my most therapeutic habits. I let myself draw whatever comes to mind. No rules. No judgment. Just play.
What I love about this is that it draws me into a flow state, which research has shown can:
- Reduce stress
- Increase feelings of fulfillment
- Boost emotional regulation
In flow, you lose track of time. Your inner critic quiets down. Your focus sharpens. And most importantly, you’re reminded that you’re capable of creating something beautiful, even in the midst of discomfort.
This doesn’t have to be visual art either—it could be writing, music, cooking, rearranging furniture, or even coloring. The key is to find something engaging enough to anchor your attention and help your nervous system breathe again.
Not Every Trick Works Every Time
Sometimes math helps. Sometimes movement does. Sometimes I need all three. And sometimes, I just need a nap and some water.
The point is: having a personal toolkit of anxiety interrupters gives you agency when your brain starts spinning out. If you live with anxiety, you don’t need to “fix” yourself—you just need strategies that help your nervous system regulate and recover.
So next time your thoughts start spiraling, try one of the tricks above. You might be surprised at how quickly things shift when you give your brain what it needs.
Want more tools for emotional resilience and nervous system regulation? Explore my other blog posts or sign up for my newsletter where I share weekly mindset tips, exercises, and nerdy insights.
