Each week, Samantha Lewis shares her insights on various topics, from exploring new health trends to re-imagining personal growth.
Feeling the fear? Practical steps for calming ongoing anxiety.
Obviously, the last few weeks have been tense.
With the real possibility of the world tipping into chaos, whispers of WW3 creeping into headlines, it’s felt like you can almost hear the scurrying feet of rodents behind us.
I keep catching myself peeking over my shoulder, sensing that prickly fear, while also fighting to keep my head steady and my eyes facing forward.
The truth?
I’ve been carrying this low hum of anxiety that I thought I was managing pretty well.
But a couple of nights of relentless thunderstorms cracked that illusion wide open.
The waves started rolling in fear, panic, and, above all, deep empathy and devastation for those living horrific realities in war zones.
I cannot believe this sh*t is happening in 2025, and I just want to scream “CAN WE ALL JUST CALM DOWN!”
So I’ve had to gently pull myself back into the present, remind myself of tools I’ve leaned on before.
Breathing properly: conscious breathing has always been my number one.
Honestly, during full-blown panic attacks, it’s been the only thing that’s ever truly cut through.
But with everything escalating globally, the breathing is only a temporary fix, so I’ve gone back into research mode.
I’ve needed more tools, more reassurance, more ways to calm that simmering anxiety before it snowballs.
If you’re riding that same undercurrent, here are some research-backed, practical steps I’ve found helpful.
Think of them as your pocket toolkit for when it all feels a little too much.
Breathe
I know it sounds basic, but when done intentionally, this will swiftly shift your nervous system out of fight or flight, and back into calm.
Box breathing has previously been my first go-to because it’s the easiest to remember, visualise drawing each side of a square as you breathe:
Inhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
Exhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
However below is a more effective breathing pattern, popularised by Dr Andrew Weil (if you manage to remember it):
4-7-8 method
Inhale for 4 counts
Hold for 7 counts
Exhale slowly for 8 counts
Ground through your senses
Anxiety lives in the future.
Your senses live in the present.
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique to anchor yourself:
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
Psychologists call this “orienting to safety” reminding your brain and body: We are safe, here — now.
To be honest, I’ve not yet remembered this exactly during an all-out panic attack.
However, I remember the concept, which at least gives me somewhere to start.
So I try to focus on noticing things I can see and hear (particularly because I lose my hearing and can’t feel my hands or arms when I’m in the worst of it).
Cold water for an instant reset
Research on the dive reflex shows that cold water on the face or neck can instantly reduce heart rate and slow that racing panic.
You don’t need fancy tools. Run cold water over your wrists, splash your face, or use a cool cloth on your neck.
Ideally, sip water if that’s all you can do.
Move the energy gently
Anxiety pumps adrenaline.
Your body needs to discharge that energy.
Gentle movement like walking, stretching, or even shaking out your limbs helps complete the stress cycle, as described in research by Emily and Amelia Nagoski in Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.
Filter the inputs
We are not wired to absorb a 24/7 global news cycle.
Limit your time online.
Curate what you consume.
Give your nervous system space to settle.
It’s not avoidance, it’s healthy boundaries.
Speak it out
Anxiety isolates.
Sharing your experience, even casually, disrupts that loop.
Whether it’s a friend, partner, or professional voicing, it reduces its grip.
If you’re sitting with that low-level, background anxiety, know you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.
Your body’s doing its best to cope in a messy, uncertain world.
But you’re not powerless.
Tools like breathwork, sensory grounding, cold water, movement and setting boundaries can help bring you back to centre, even when the outside noise feels relentless.
And sometimes, reminding ourselves we’ve been here before and that we have tools is half the battle.