You do not need equipment, training, or a lot of time. These five evidence-informed exercises can be done anywhere, any time.
Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold for 7. Breathe out through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat 3 times. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the rest-and-digest state. Use it when anxious, before sleep, or whenever you feel overwhelmed.
Name 5 things you can see. 4 things you can touch (and touch them). 3 things you can hear. 2 things you can smell. 1 thing you can taste. This pulls your mind out of spiral thinking and back into the present moment. Takes 60 seconds.
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write down everything you are worried about — without editing. When the timer goes off, close the notebook. Worries that are written down often lose some of their grip. They are outside you, not circling inside you.
Depression makes you withdraw from things. Behavioural activation reverses this — you schedule one small, manageable activity you used to enjoy, and you do it even if you do not feel like it. A 10-minute walk. Making chai. Calling one person. Mood often follows action, not the other way around.
Not toxic positivity — genuine noticing. Each evening, write one specific thing that was not terrible today. Not "my family," but "my mother made me tea without asking." Specificity matters. Over time, this gently trains the mind to notice what is present, not only what is missing.
Talk to our team any time, or find a professional near you.