Self-help for anxiety

Anxiety is your body's alarm system. It is meant to keep you safe, but sometimes it goes off too often or too loudly. The good news is that many of the skills therapists teach can be learned and practiced at home.

This page walks through the self-help steps with the best research behind them. You do not need to do them all. Pick one or two, practice them most days, and give them a few weeks.

Does self-help really work?

Yes, for many people. A large Cochrane review looked at 101 trials of self-help for anxiety disorders. Most used books, audio, computers or the internet to teach CBT skills.¹

• People who used self-help had clearly fewer anxiety symptoms than people on a waiting list.¹
• They were more than twice as likely to improve a lot.¹
• Therapy in person with a trained therapist worked a little better. The review's authors suggest in-person CBT for people who can get it.¹

Self-help is not a cure-all. In the review, only about half of the people who used self-help were clearly better by the end.¹ It may suit you best if your anxiety is mild to moderate, if you are waiting to see a therapist, or if you want to keep up skills after therapy ends. Our treatment page explains the other options.

1. Slow down your breathing

When you are anxious, your breathing often gets fast and shallow. Slowing it down, especially the out-breath, sends your body a signal that you are safe.

In a month-long study, volunteers did one of several breathing exercises or mindfulness meditation for 5 minutes a day. A pattern called cyclic sighing, which uses long, slow exhales, improved mood more than meditation. It also lowered breathing rate more.⁴ This was one study, so the evidence is still early. Promising

1. Sit or lie down comfortably. Let your shoulders drop.
2. Breathe in through your nose. When your lungs feel mostly full, take a second short sip of air on top.
3. Breathe out slowly through your mouth. Make the out-breath long and easy, until your lungs feel empty.
4. Repeat for about 5 minutes. Go at a pace that feels comfortable, not forced.
5. Practice when you are calm, too. A skill you practice daily is easier to use when anxiety spikes.

Follow along with our guided cyclic sigh or try box breathing. Other calming skills include progressive muscle relaxation, the body scan and grounding, which uses your senses to bring you back to the present.

Relaxation methods are safe for most people. A few people feel more anxious at first, or have upsetting thoughts.⁵ If you have a history of trauma, epilepsy or a serious mental health condition, talk with your health care provider first.⁵ If a method makes you feel worse, stop and try a different one.

2. Give worry its own time

Constant worry can feel impossible to control. Worry time is a simple way to practice taking charge. You set a short, regular time to worry each day. When worries pop up at other times, you write them down and save them for later.

In a 2024 trial, people with generalized anxiety disorder practiced putting off their worry to a planned time. Their worry dropped more than in a group that waited for treatment. The benefit was still there four weeks later.⁶ The trial was small, with 47 people who had generalized anxiety.⁶

A quick version:

• Pick the same 15 to 30 minutes each day. Avoid bedtime.
• When a worry shows up, jot down a word or two. Tell yourself, "I will think about this later."
• At worry time, go through your list. For each worry, ask whether there is one small step you can take. If not, practice letting it be.
• Stop when time is up.

Our generalized anxiety page gives the full step-by-step method.

3. Check your anxious thoughts

Anxiety often makes the worst outcome seem certain. CBT teaches you to notice these thoughts and question them, instead of accepting them as facts.² This is sometimes called thought checking.

1. Catch the thought. Write down what is going through your mind, such as "I will make a fool of myself."
2. Rate how strongly you believe it. Use a scale from 0 to 100.
3. Look at the evidence. What facts support the thought? What facts do not?
4. Ask a few questions. What would I tell a friend who thought this? What is most likely to happen? If the worst did happen, how would I cope?
5. Write a more balanced thought. For example: "I may feel nervous, but I have handled meetings before."
6. Rate your belief again. Even a small drop is progress.

Our thought check tool guides you through these steps. For more practice, see CBT week 2 and CBT week 3.

4. Face your fears in small steps

Avoiding what scares you brings quick relief. But over time, avoidance teaches your brain that the thing is truly dangerous, and the fear grows.⁷ Exposure means facing feared situations on purpose, a little at a time, so your brain can learn they are safer than they feel.

With repeated practice, fear usually fades. You also build confidence that you can cope.⁷ Exposure is a proven part of treatment for phobias, panic disorder, social anxiety and generalized anxiety.⁷

How to build a fear ladder:

1. Choose one fear to work on. For example, riding the bus, making phone calls or going to the store.
2. List 8 to 10 steps. Start with something that feels only a little scary and end with your goal.
3. Rate each step. Use a scale from 0 (no fear) to 100 (the most fear you can imagine).
4. Start near the bottom. Pick a step that feels hard but doable, maybe a 30 or 40.
5. Stay with it. Remain in the situation until your anxiety starts to come down, or for a set time. Try not to escape early or lean on safety habits, like always having someone with you.
6. Repeat often. Do the same step several times a week until it feels much easier. Then move up the ladder.

Expect to feel some anxiety. That is a sign the practice is working, not a sign of danger. If you have panic attacks, learn first how to tell panic from a heart problem, and check with your doctor before practicing on your own.

Exposure can be hard to do alone, especially for strong fears. A therapist trained in exposure therapy can help you plan and pace it. See also our pages on phobias and social anxiety.

5. Cut back on caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant. Too much can cause jitters, a racing or pounding heart, trouble sleeping and anxiety.⁸ These feelings can look a lot like anxiety, or make it worse.

The FDA says most healthy adults can have up to about 400 milligrams a day without harmful effects. That is roughly two to three 12-ounce cups of brewed coffee.⁸ If you have anxiety, you may feel better with much less. The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health says cutting back on caffeine can ease anxiety symptoms when combined with regular care.²

Source for the table: FDA.⁸

If you drink caffeine every day, cut back slowly over a week or two. Stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms. They are unpleasant but not considered dangerous.⁸

6. Be careful with alcohol

Many people drink to calm their nerves. Alcohol may seem to help for a short time. But heavy drinking and the withdrawal that follows can make anxiety worse over time, and can lead to more drinking.⁹

Anxious feelings can even show up the day after a single night of heavy drinking. Some people call this "hangxiety."⁹ Quitting drinking often helps other mental health problems improve.⁹ In people with drinking problems, sleep can take a month or more without alcohol to recover.⁹

7. Move your body

Exercise is one of the most helpful things you can do for anxiety. A 2023 review pulled together results from 171 trials with more than 10,000 people. Physical activity lowered anxiety by a medium amount.¹⁰

• Moderate to vigorous activity, like brisk walking, seemed to help more than very light activity.¹⁰
• Programs of about 12 weeks showed the biggest effects.¹⁰
• Many of the reviews were of low quality, so the exact numbers are uncertain.¹⁰

Even one session can ease anxiety right away.¹¹ Over time, U.S. guidelines suggest adults aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, such as 30 minutes on 5 days. They also suggest muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days a week.¹¹

You do not have to start there. A 10-minute walk counts. If you have a health condition, talk with your doctor about what is safe for you, and build up slowly.¹² Try our 12-week walking plan, strength and balance training or gentle movement like tai chi and Baduanjin.

Other habits that help

• Sleep. Getting enough sleep can reduce anxiety symptoms.² Anxiety and poor sleep feed each other. See sleep, mood and anxiety and healthy sleep habits.
• Mindfulness. Mindfulness and meditation can ease anxiety and may make therapy work better.² Start with our mindfulness course.
• People. Talk openly with someone you trust.² Support groups, in person or online, can help you feel less alone. Use members' advice with care, since it does not replace your provider's.² See support groups.
• Kindness to yourself. Be patient. Setbacks are normal and do not erase your progress.²

Self-help in later life

These skills work at any age. A few things are worth keeping in mind as you get older:

• Get new symptoms checked. A racing heart, shortness of breath or dizziness can come from anxiety, but also from other health problems. A provider may do a physical exam to rule out other causes.² See what causes anxiety and medicines that can affect mood.
• Adapt exercise. Chair exercise, water exercise and walking with a partner are good options. Start slowly.¹²
• Fear of falling is common. If fear keeps you from moving, see fear of falling.
• Alcohol hits harder with age and mixes badly with many medicines. See alcohol in later life.

Our page on anxiety in later life has more.

Common questions

How long before self-help starts to work?

Most people need several weeks of steady practice before they notice a clear change. Be patient with yourself.

Can I do self-help while I am in therapy or taking medicine?

Yes. These skills fit well with therapy, and many therapists will give you similar homework. Healthy habits like exercise, less caffeine and good sleep support treatment, but they are not a replacement for it.²

When self-help is not enough

Self-help works best alongside, not instead of, professional care when anxiety is strong. Reach out to a health care provider if anxiety causes problems at work, at home or with family and friends, or if it does not ease after a few weeks of steady practice.² A primary care provider is a good place to start. They can refer you to a mental health professional.²

Therapy and medicines both help many people. See treatment for anxiety, medicines for anxiety and how to find a therapist. Never start, stop or change a medicine on your own. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist first.

Education only. This page is general information written from the sources listed. It is not medical, legal or financial advice and does not replace a doctor, therapist or lawyer who knows your situation. How we write and check pages.