This post is all about low-energy activities to help with anxiety that you can do right now no matter how anxiety is making you feel.
These activities are for those days you don’t want to roll out of bed or off the couch. When you have anxiety, there are days the only activity that sounds doable is taking a nap.
When so much of our energy goes to overthinking and fighting the thoughts in our own head, we can get too tired to even get out of bed. So, some of these activities like going out for a walk feel impossible.
This is a great resource to turn to on those days you want to quit the anxiety cycle and feel better, but your anxiety isn’t working with your mind to get you on the right track again.
This post is all about low-energy activities to help with anxiety.
ACTIVITIES TO HELP WITH ANXIETY:
1. Stretch wherever you are
Whether you’re in bed and under the covers or you’re sitting in your office chair, stretching in place is a great way to release some anxiety. The moment you move your body, even if it’s in a low-energy way, you change the relationship between your mind and body.
Stretching will release the tension in your body and it’s a great way to change up your routine on a day that you’re struggling to get out of bed. The biggest hurdle on days like this is your brain keeping you from doing something because it sounds like a lot of work.
So, when you give yourself the option of doing something easy, low-energy, and instantly-feel-good, you’ll be all set to reset your day. Combine this with a few more low-energy activities and you’ll be ready to take back the day—whatever that means for you.
2. Practice deep, mindful breathing
No matter what you’re doing, mindful breathing is always a great way to gain control over the physical symptoms of anxiety so that you’ll have an easier time gaining control over the mental symptoms of anxiety.
One great example of mindful breathing is box breathing that requires you to slow your breathing down, like the video above. Every time you breathe in, hold your breath, exhale, and empty your lungs, you wait five to ten seconds before continuing to the next step.
3. Search for a guided meditation
Guided meditation is the best way to break into meditation without all of the stress of shutting off your thoughts. Still, whenever you meditate, you want to work up to shutting your brain off. Luckily, when you’re starting off, you can focus on someone telling you how to meditate.
This is great way to start off, and the best part is you can take advantage of a guided meditation wherever you are and in any position. While I’d recommend you keep your eyes open and sit up to avoid falling asleep, you can certainly meditate in any position you want to.
4. Journal mentally (or in a journal if you can)
When you’re getting swallowed up by your anxiety, sometimes the best thing you can do is get your mind on something else as best as you can. Clearly, this doesn’t always work, but even going through a mental checklist will can help more than you think.
Two of my favorite journal prompts are 1) finding three things about the day (or previous day) that you’re grateful for and 2) write down (mentally if you’re not actually writing) a negative thought about yourself and counter it like you’re talking to a friend.
5. Lay down outside or sit outside
When you don’t feel like going for a walk outside, being outside will still benefit you. So, when you’re having a low-energy, anxious day, try to get yourself outside even if you’re not moving.
The fresh air, sun if you’re in the sun, and a beautiful view, unless you prefer closing your eyes, will make you feel so much better. The noises outside, even if you have some car horns here and there, will help you reset. Much of helping your anxiety is changing up your routine.
6. Watch a movie you enjoy
Pick a movie you’ve seen and you love to watch because it makes you feel good. While you shouldn’t always opt for distracting yourself from anxiety because it doesn’t solve the root problem, watching a movie might be the only thing that sounds reasonable on a low-energy day.
Curl up in front of the tv with a blanket and some fun snacks then turn on your favorite feel-good movie. You can choose a movie you’ve never seen, but it could make your anxiety worse if you don’t know how the movie will end.
7. Give yourself a quick, little massage
Along with a stretch, a massage is one of the most perfect, quickest, and lowest-energy activities to reduce anxiety. You can do this anywhere, anytime, and without any previous knowledge on massaging your face and neck.
You can begin with a stretch with that helps loosen your body. Then, you can move to massaging your cheeks and temples with as much or as little pressure as feels good to you. Once you massage your cheeks, you can hone in on your sinuses or move down to your neck and back.
8. Turn on a podcast and lay on your bed or couch
When you don’t feel like getting out of your current position, you can at least try to get your mind off the anxiety. You can read a book, but, let’s best honest and say that is a little too daunting sometimes.
So, you can turn on a podcast that will get your attention or you can listen to an audiobook (Libby for the forever win). This way, even if you close your eyes because all you feel like doing is sleeping, you can still occupy your mind with something other than your own stressful thoughts.
No, distractions aren’t always good for you—especially when you do it all the time. But, when you need to change it up a little and shake up your anxiety, a distraction might be exactly what you need.
9. Do a five-minute “win” task
One of my favorite ways to feel good about myself when I’m trying to get out of an anxiety rut is to do a quick and easy task. Yes, this is probably more out of a different kind of anxiety, but the point is to get up and doing a quick win.
Give yourself the satisfaction of doing some quick task that needs doing even if you don’t want to do it. That way, you’re helping out your future self, feeling good about it, and maybe even getting out of your anxiety rut.
10. Get up and do the ragdoll pose
Don’t knock it till you try it. The ragdoll pose will help you release all of your upper body tension while relying on the strength you already have in your legs. This will involve getting up, but, if it’s for a comfortable, low-energy cause, you might find it’s worth it.
I’ll always recommend yoga as a way to help your mind-body connection work its magic, but we’re talking low-energy and yoga doesn’t feel low-energy when we’re thinking about it. So, get up and flip over; dangle your upper body over your legs and enjoy.
11. Eat a quick meal (avoid ordering or eating snacks)
If you’re reading this thinking it sounds anything but low-energy, then feel free to skip it because it will require a little more from you than the rest of these. I’m still including it because food is one of the best cures for anxiety and one of the ones we think about the least.
For some reason, we always forget we need food because we’re overthinking something or stressing about something else. That’s why if you have a quick recipe you can whip up or some frozen food you can heat up, you should go do it before you talk yourself out of it.
12. Find cute pictures of cats and dogs
It’s basic and it’s almost silly to write, but you already want to do it. So, unleash yourself on the internet or Pinterest or Instagram. Be careful to keep your eyes on dogs, cats, and other cute creatures without going down the doom-scroll path.
As always, we’re trying to get your mind off the anxiety and looking at cute animals then feeling good about it will probably get you feeling a little better than before.
13. Watch a video from your favorite comedian
There’s no better feeling than watching your favorite comedian do an act that you find truly funny. You can find them on Facebook or YouTube and they’ll instantly brighten your day.
Find the perfect video—and keep watching until you find one that makes you laugh—and your anxiety will be the last thing on your mind. Feel free to watch two or three videos, but remember that you want to use this as way to get out of your rut and not into another one.
14. Look out a window (or go outside)
We’ll end with one of our most doable, unassuming activities to help with anxiety. Looking out the window, while definitely low-energy, will get you focusing on something else the moment you try and decode every natural (and unnatural) thing you’re looking at.
You can investigate the trees, birds, and landscape you see until you start to feel calm replace your anxiety. If focusing on the outdoors doesn’t suffice, add some audio to it and you’re good to go.
