Best protocols for reducing anxiety

Anxiety may be reduced with daily breathing practice, structured expressive writing, brief stress exposure, and NSDR.

1. Physiological sighs: Practice cyclic sighing for five minutes daily: inhale through the nose, take a second inhale through the nose, then exhale fully through the mouth. In a study comparing several practices, this was associated with the strongest improvements in stress, mood, and sleep. 1

2. Expressive writing: On four occasions, write continuously for 15–30 minutes about a distressing experience and the thoughts and feelings around it. If a major trauma feels too difficult to start with, write about a significant conflict or stressful event instead. 2 Avoid doing the exercise close to bedtime; the writing can temporarily increase arousal. 3

3. Brief stress exposure: About five minutes of intense stress daily reversed some effects of chronic stress in a mouse study. This is animal evidence, not an established human anxiety protocol; the discussion describes human applications as an area being explored, and cautions that stimulating breathing practices can trigger panic or anxiety attacks in susceptible people. 4 5

4. NSDR: Try a relaxation practice such as Yoga Nidra or guided hypnosis. NSDR practices are described as deliberately shifting toward deeper relaxation, and hypnosis resources include protocols aimed at reducing anxiety and improving sleep. 6 7