How to Rest More Even While Anxious

We polled our audience about their weeknight sleep, and 41 percent of women say they’re only getting 6–7 hours a night. When we asked what’s keeping them up, answers included:

• “Worry over the future”

• “Anxiety, too many things to do between work and bedtime”

• “My child, worries about life and the state of affairs”

• “Too much to do”

• “The never ending to-do list”

• “Anxiety, overthinking about work and life”

• “My mind keeps going…”

Anxiety often brings restlessness, particularly in times of constant change and uncertainty. Job security feels fleeting, the cost of living has never been higher, and with so much happening around us in the world, it’s easy to feel unsettled.

Over half of our audience (55 percent) say the kind of rest they require most is emotional rest, and 60 percent report that current world news heavily affects their stress at work, making it hard to focus.

If you’re feeling the weight of the world, show yourself some compassion. Your feelings are valid. It’s possible to work with your anxiety rather than against it and find gentle ways to rest when you can’t “turn off” your brain.

Read more: How to Cope at Work When There’s a Constant Negative News Cycle

5 techniques to manage anxiety

When you’re feeling anxious, don’t fight the feeling. Instead, breathe and allow yourself to move through the spectrum of emotions. 

Rest doesn’t always look like sleep or napping; it can also mean slowing down, releasing tension, or giving your mind and body space to reset. Use these techniques to work alongside your anxiety, tap into your body’s natural responses, and find moments of relief.

1. Learn to recognize and pinpoint your triggers 

Anxiety begins in the mind, but it can manifest in the body. Physical symptoms can be confusing or even alarming, and can sometimes be mistaken for real illness. Common physical symptoms of anxiety can include:

• A racing or pounding heartbeat, sometimes paired with chest tightness

• Shortness of breath or the feeling that you can’t get a full breath

• Lightheadedness, dizziness, or feeling faint

• Nausea, stomach pain, or digestive issues

• Sweating, trembling, or shaky hands

• Muscle tension, especially in the jaw, neck, or shoulders

• Headaches or migraines that spike with stress

• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet

Pay attention to when these sensations occur: What situations, thoughts, or environments bring them on? For example, you might notice your heart racing during a meeting, feel lightheaded in a crowded subway, or experience sudden nausea before a presentation. Keeping note of symptoms and the situations they arise can help you anticipate anxious moments better and distinguish between physical health issues and anxiety-driven responses.

Read more: 7 Expert-Approved Ways to Soothe Interview Anxiety

2. Move your body to soften tension

Sometimes, moving when you least want to is the best antidote to anxiety. Listen to your body, move if you can, and rest when you need to. Gentle movement and grounding techniques help release tension, reset your nervous system, and remind you that you’re safe in the present moment. 

Try experimenting with:

• Somatic yoga or stretching: Focus on slow, mindful movements that lengthen tight muscles and encourage deeper breathing. You don’t need a class or studio, just a bit of space at home. Yoga and stretching guides are available for free on YouTube. Pay attention to where you tend to hold tension (like the jaw, shoulders, or hips) and practice letting go.

• Dancing or free movement: Put on a song you love and let your body move however it wants. Even a few minutes of shaking or swaying can release pent-up stress.

• Body scan meditations: Sit or lie down, close your eyes, and mentally scan each area of your body—your head, shoulders, stomach, hips, legs. Ask yourself: Does this feel tight, restless, or calm? If you notice tension, try softening the muscles as you exhale, or imagine sending warmth into that spot. Reconnect with your body, identify where anxiety is showing up physically, and release it little by little.

• Spending time outdoors: Over a third of women in our community say walking or hiking benefits their mental health. For some, it’s the rhythm of footsteps that offers levity, and for others, it’s the fresh air and sunlight. As one respondent shares, “Even a few minutes in nature brings peace of mind and clarity of what’s important.”

• Structured rest: If anxiety is making it difficult to focus, give yourself permission to step away from work or other responsibilities briefly. A 10-minute break to stretch, lie down, or simply breathe can help reset your nervous system.

Read more: 4 Grounding Techniques to Keep You Calm

3. Distract yourself with physiological exercises and activities

Interrupt the cycle of racing thoughts by engaging your senses and giving your mind something concrete to focus on:

• Pick an object near you: a mug, a plant, a fruit. Describe it out loud or in your head. Detail its color, texture, shape, and size. This exercise slows spiraling by shifting your attention to observation.

• Hold something cold, like an ice cube or a chilled drink can. The sharp sensation interrupts anxious thought patterns and brings you back into your body.

• Eat citrus, sour candy, or peppermint. The strong, tangy flavor can jolt your senses awake while also activating the vagus nerve to shift your body into a calmer “rest and digest” state.

• Dab a bit of mentholated ointment, like Vicks VapoRub, under your nose or on your temples. The cooling sensation and strong scent provide an immediate sensory anchor.

4. Connect to your inner child 

“Connecting to your inner child” might sound cliché, but it simply means letting go of adult worries, if only for a little while, and giving yourself permission to feel playful, creative, and free. Notice what brings you joy and ease, and set aside productivity or perfectionism for a day.

• Draw, paint, sculpt, or build something with your hands without worrying about how it turns out. Let yourself laugh, dance, or sing, even if it feels silly.

• Be your own babysitter and limit your screen time. Give your mind a break from notifications, news, or social media, even for just a few minutes. 

• Play, pretend, and explore creatively. When I was a kid, my sister and I made “potions,” mixing different scented lotions into a single bottle and giving it a fun name. As an adult, you can tap into the same playful energy by:

• Experimenting with new recipes or drinks

• Trying a whimsical craft project like candle-making or terrariums

• Turning mundane tasks, like taking the trash out, into a creative game

5. Reflect on your wants and needs through journaling

Kayla, an Arizona-based therapist, shared a guiding tool for self-reflection on TikTok. Part of her caption reads: “Sometimes we know something feels off, but we can’t quite name what we actually need…Think of this as a starting place for noticing patterns, tuning into your body, and asking yourself better questions. Let it guide you into exploring your needs on a deeper level whether they’re micro-needs that show up in daily life or bigger needs that ask for more time and courage.”

From your responses, notice which parts of yourself are showing up:

• The tired part: “I wish someone would notice how much I’m carrying.”

• The caretaker part: “I wish someone asked me what I need instead of assuming I’m fine.”

• The people-pleasing part: “I wish someone cared about my true desires.”

• The perfectionist part: “I wish someone noticed how hard I’m trying.”

Kayla says you can use this framework to distinguish between your wants and needs. For example, if you want a clean house, you might need order and predictability. You can also differentiate between small micro-needs that are often dismissed (a glass of water, asking for quiet, turning your phone on do-not-disturb, eating a snack to avoid crashing, etc) and bigger, longer-term needs that are more challenging to access (space to grieve, financial stability, a creative outlet, honest conversations, more consistent rest, etc).

Processing your thoughts and emotions is an incredible tool for easing anxiety. If you don’t journal, you can process your thoughts verbally—send a voice memo to a close friend or record a brain dump that no one else will ever listen to. Find an outlet that works for you.