Feeling Anxious? Use Your Body to Calm Your Mind

The American Psychological Association recently reported that more people than ever are struggling with anxiety. Nearly 50% of American adults report feeling anxious. Sadly, the rate of children 17 and under battling anxiety has also increased. Reasons for this increase are endless. But in our fast-paced, screen-addicted, at times seemingly unstable society, we should remember that being anxious is nothing new.

Consider a couple of examples from Scripture:

In Psalm 55:1-2, 22 David prays: “Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught…Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

In Philippians 4:6-8 Paul records two commands from God along with a promise: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

These texts, among many others, can help us focus our mind on truths rather than worries in anxious moments. God blesses us spiritually as we read, know, and rely on his Word, even when battling issues like anxiety.

Still, God has given other blessings, including those that come about through the physical body to slow racing thoughts.

Maybe you’ve heard of the “333 rule.” Experts have long recommended this method as a temporary way to deal with anxiety when you feel it creeping in. As someone who writes on embodiment from a biblical perspective, I find the focus of their recommendations interesting. See if you notice it.

Upon feeling anxious, experts say:

Identify 3 things you can SEE

Identify 3 things you can HEAR

Identify 3 things you can TOUCH

The 333 rule advocates using your physical senses to calm your mental anxieties. In other words, you can use your body to calm your mind. But this should be no surprise for Christians. God designed us to function this way!

Our good and loving God created us as embodied beings, who bear his image in soul and body. As part of our embodiment, he designed a psychosomatic connection between our mind and our body. This connection is meant to enhance human flourishing as we care for ourselves mentally and physically. One blessing of our psychosomatic connection is that we can engage our physical senses to counter anxieties. The 333 rule shows this reality. 

Because God designed the body to calm the mind, there are many ways to utilize the benefits of our psychosomatic connection to reduce anxieties. I call them, embodied interventions.

They are effective because of our immaterial and material design. God mediates care to believers through these embodied interventions. He comforts us, giving us a mind of peace that quiets anxieties as we engage in his world through our bodies. When pursued to deepen our relationship with God, these physical actions come with spiritual blessing.

Nature

God designed the natural world to declare his glory and to renew our perspective as we take a break from mundane routines and get into his awe-inspiring, created world, a world filled with natural blessings that benefit our immune and nervous systems along with overall cellular health. 

Get outside, soak up the sun, put your feet and hands in the grass, sand, or dirt, play with a pet, listen to the birds, flowing water, wind, and other soothing sounds in God’s glorious creation

Vagus nerve

God designed this nerve to connect the gut, heart, lungs, vocal chords, and brain. When stimulated, it benefits our mind by lessening anxiety and depression symptoms. 

Sing or hum a hymn, pray or read Scripture out loud, take a cold shower or eat a popsicle, do some deep breathing

People

God designed us for community and to do life with others. Physical touch is also the quickest way to calm the nervous system. So, doing something with and for other people is a great way to renew perspective and shift your mind off overwhelming anxieties. 

Hug a loved one, hold hands with someone as they pray for you, show hospitality, help someone in need, laugh with a friend, eat a meal together

Decrease stress

God designed us to flourish, but hectic schedules and daily stresses interrupt that design. Combating sources of stress can decrease inflammation that negatively impacts the gut and, in turn, worsens anxiety and depression.

Get sufficient sleep, as lack of it worsens our immune system, mood, and cognition, incorporate a weekly period of rest to counteract stress, put boundaries between work and home life

Exercise

God designed our bodies to temporarily release endorphins when we exercise, which boosts our mood and soothes anxiety. 

Go for a walk outside, do some cardio, weightlifting, or stretching

Nutrition

God designed our bodies to need specific nutrients. But poor nutrition worsens gut health, which can impact the mind. Consuming good nutrients from real foods improves gut health and benefits the mind.

Eat more fiber, foods with probiotics, and colorful veggies and fruits while eating less sugar, saturated, and trans fats

In the end, Christians should recognize that, as Creator, God is the one who uses these created blessings to mediate his care to us.

These activities are only embodied interventions because they function according to his sovereign design. The reason we benefit from creation does not arise from creation itself but from its Creator. He lovingly intended his created world to bless his creatures. 

So, Christians struggling with anxiety can praise God for these embodied interventions and proclaim them to others. Rather than overlooking our body, we glorify God for his masterful design and embrace embodied interventions as a way of enhancing human flourishing through our mind-body connection.