Your cart

One of the most powerful tools for staying calm is deep breathing. Deep breaths can stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, significantly reducing feelings of anxiety.

Here are some breathing exercises you can try:

• Box breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds → Hold for 4 seconds → Exhale for 4 seconds → Hold for 4 seconds. Repeat for several cycles.

• 4-7-8 breathing: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds → Hold your breath for 7 seconds → Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat for 4–8 cycles.

• Diaphragmatic breathing: Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Inhale deeply through your nose so your belly rises (not your chest) → Exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat for several minutes.

• Alternate nostril breathing: Close your right nostril with your thumb, inhale through your left → Close your left nostril with your ring finger, exhale through your right → Inhale through right → Close and exhale through the left. Continue alternating.

• Sighing breath: Take a deep inhale through the nose → Breathe out through the mouth with an audible exhale. Repeat 3–5 times.

• Pursed lip breathing: Inhale through your nose for 2 counts → Exhale slowly through pursed lips (like blowing out a candle) for 4 counts. Repeat as needed.

3. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a powerful practice that can significantly improve your ability to stay calm in stressful situations. It helps you become fully aware of your current feelings and sensations without judgment and blame. At the same time, mindfulness anchors you in the present moment, so you can stop worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.

Structured mindfulness exercises, like body scans or sitting meditation, require a quiet space and dedicated time. These practices involve paying close attention to different parts of your body and your breathing.

Here are some mindfulness practices you can try:

• Mindful eating: eat slowly and pay full attention to the taste, texture, and smell of each bite. Avoid distractions like your phone or TV.

• Mindful walking: walk slowly and focus on each step, the feeling of your feet hitting the ground, the rhythm of your breath, and your surroundings.

• Body scans: lie down or sit comfortably. Focus on each part of your body from head to toe, noticing any tension or sensation.

• Single-tasking: choose one activity (e.g., brushing your teeth, washing dishes) and give it your full attention without multitasking.

4. Leverage Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is your brain's ability to change and adapt. This means that the more consistently you practice different ways to calm down, the more natural it becomes. Every time you interrupt a spiral of anxious thoughts and respond with patience instead of panic, you're literally rewiring your brain.

What if we told you you could take this a step further with Mendi?

Mendi is a wearable headband that allows you to train your brain using real-time feedback on your brain activity. It focuses on the prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for focus, emotion regulation, stress management, and decision-making.

When you use Mendi, you play a simple game on your phone that is controlled by your brain activity. The more focused and relaxed you become, the better you perform in the game. Over time (the key is consistency!), this can strengthen your ability to stay present and self-regulate under pressure.

Many Mendi users report feeling more in control of their reactions and better equipped to handle daily stressors after just a few weeks of training!

5. Positive Thinking and Self-Talk

The term self-talk refers to the ongoing internal dialogue that influences your outlook on life. This dialogue can be:

• Constructive, boosting your confidence and resilience

• Detrimental, increasing feelings of stress and anxiety

Therefore, it's important to become aware of your self-talk and switch to a more positive dialogue and a more positive mindset. It's equally important to recognize negative thought patterns like catastrophizing.

Here are some activity ideas you can try that can help you calm down when stressed:

• Affirmation practice: say or write positive statements about yourself each day (e.g., I am doing my best, I am enough, I can handle this). Repeat them out loud with intention.

• Mirror talk: stand in front of a mirror and speak kindly to yourself, as if encouraging a friend. Smile, maintain eye contact, and say something supportive or proud.

• Rewiring negative thoughts: Notice a negative thought (e.g., I always mess things up) → Challenge it → Replace it with a kinder, more realistic one (e.g., I make mistakes, but I learn and grow from them).

• Gratitude list: write down 3–5 things you're grateful for each day — big or small. This trains your mind to notice the positive.

• Positive self-talk recordings: record yourself reading positive affirmations or kind reminders. Listen to them when you’re feeling low or overwhelmed.

6. Prioritize Enough Sleep

Sleep is fundamental to managing stress and maintaining mental health. During sleep, the brain and body undergo repair and recovery processes. Therefore, quality sleep is essential for improving memory, mood, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, all of which are crucial for effectively managing stress.

To improve your sleep quality:

• Go to bed an hour earlier.

• Take an afternoon nap (but take into account that it may sometimes prevent you from falling asleep in the evening).

• Establish a consistent sleep schedule.

• Create a relaxing bedtime routine.

• Avoid using your phone first thing after waking up and before going to sleep.

• Use dim lights an hour before sleep.

These small changes can have a significant impact on how well-rested you feel.

7. Create Calming Routines

Create your own calming routine that you can rely on in stressful situations. For example, you can create a routine you can always do before high-pressure moments. You can also create an emergency calming routine that you can use when nervousness has already kicked in. It needs to include exercises that can quickly calm you down, so you'll have to try a lot before choosing the best ones.

These routines can include any of the exercises mentioned above, as well as anything else that calms you down, such as:

• Calling a friend or family member

• Looking at a photo that takes you back to a pleasant moment

• Visualizing your success

• Eating a piece of black chocolate

• Shaking your body

• Dancing

• Using a calming mobile app with personalized content

8. Let Go and Accept What You Can't Control

The best thing you can do when you notice that your emotions become overwhelming is to accept what you can't control.

Most of the time, we get nervous and react from a place of anger or fear because of something that hasn't happened yet or because of something that has already happened. In both cases, our minds are pulling us away from the present moment, which does more harm than good. And this is the only place where we have any real influence. We can only find solutions for situations happening here and now.

So, instead of fighting the nerves or trying to suppress them, make peace with them. Take a break, step away from the situation, and say to yourself, I feel nervous right now, and that's okay. This simple act of acceptance reduces resistance, creates space for clarity, and helps you see things from a new perspective.

Then, gently bring your attention back to what you can control: your breath, your body language, your behavior, your next small action. Ask yourself, What’s one helpful thing I can do right now? It might be reviewing your notes or simply standing tall.

Ready to Train Your Brain for Calmness?

If you're ready to take control of your stress response and improve emotional resilience, hurry up and get your Mendi! Our advanced neurofeedback system has been meticulously designed and validated by leading neuroscience experts. Therefore, it is supported by a strong foundation in scientific research. Now, you can reap its benefits from the comfort of your home!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to calm anxiety down fast?

To calm anxiety down fast, take slow, deep breaths using a technique like box breathing and ground yourself by focusing on your senses: what you can see, hear, and feel. This stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and can help interrupt the anxiety cycle.

How can I train myself to be calm?

To train yourself to be calm, practice daily habits like deep breathing, mindfulness, neurofeedback, and positive self-talk to build your ability to stay composed.

Why do I struggle to be calm?

You may struggle to be calm because your brain has been conditioned to react quickly to perceived stress or danger, often through habit or past experiences and mistakes. Without regular regulation techniques, your nervous system stays in a reactive state.

How to be a calm person in every situation?

You can learn to be a calm person in every situation by developing healthy stress-coping techniques. You can use calming strategies (like breathing exercises and grounding routines) and use them consistently, not just in moments of crisis, because it takes practice. Remaining calm in every situation isn’t about never feeling stress; it’s about training your response to it.

How can deep breathing help manage stress?

Deep breathing effectively manages stress by fostering relaxation and enhancing control over breathing, which in turn reduces anxiety. Implementing this practice can lead to a calmer state of mind during stressful situations.

What are some mindfulness practices that can help stay calm?

Mindfulness practices such as body scanning, sitting meditation, and sensory exploration effectively reconnect you with the present moment and alleviate stress. Engaging in these techniques can promote a sense of calm in daily life.