5 anxiety-reducing techniques that work right now

You don't have to wait for it to pass. You can help yourself right here, right now.

When anxiety hits, all you want is for it to go away. But anxiety doesn't follow orders. If you tell yourself to "calm down," it gets worse. Fighting anxiety is stress in itself, and your body only reacts more intensely.

But there are techniques that do work. Not magical. Not instant. But real. They're grounded in physiology—in how your nervous system is wired. They don't require special conditions or hours of your time. You can use them on the subway, at work, or at home.