Strategies to Calm Your Anxious Thoughts

(Written for teens who feel unheard or alone)

Feeling anxious can feel like your brain won’t stop talking – thoughts racing, heart pounding, like you can’t catch a break. If you’re a teenager reading this and thinking, “that’s me”, you’re not alone. Many young people feel anxious, especially when it seems like no one understands or listens.

The good news? Occupational Therapy (OT) has practical tools you can use every day to calm your mind and body.

1. Name What’s Happening

Anxiety often grows when it stays bottled up. Try naming your feeling:

• “I feel anxious.”

• “My thoughts are loud right now.”

By putting it into words, you take the first step to noticing instead of being overwhelmed.

2. Slow Down Your Breathing

When your body is anxious, your brain follows. Try this:

• Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds

• Hold for 2 seconds

• Breathe out slowly for 6 seconds
  Repeat 4–5 times. You’ll often feel your heart slow down too.

3. Write It Out

Grab a notebook or even your phone and write down everything running through your head. Don’t worry about making sense. Just “empty” your thoughts onto the page. Once they’re out, your brain doesn’t have to hold them so tightly.

4. Ground Yourself in the Present

When thoughts feel too big, try the 5-4-3-2-1 method:

• 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can touch

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

This pulls you back into the moment and reminds your body you’re safe.

✨ Neuro-OT Insight:
Anxious thoughts aren’t just “in your head” – they’re your brain and body working overtime to protect you. When the nervous system senses danger (real or imagined), it flips into survival mode: racing thoughts, tense muscles, fast heartbeat. OTs trained in neuroscience look at how your environment, routines, and sensory system all shape these responses.

That’s why calming strategies matter: slowing your breath tells your nervous system you’re safe, grounding through touch or movement helps rewire your brain to shift gears, and building daily “sensory anchors” (like music, journaling, or movement) trains your brain to regulate over time.

You’re not weak for feeling anxious – your brain is doing its job. Neuro-OT helps you find ways to teach it new patterns so you can feel heard, calm, and connected.