“I’ve tried everything and nothing has worked!“
This is the most common comment that I hear from students after 10 years of working with people who live with chronic anxiety. And hey, I get it. I felt that way for a long, long time. There are still days where I feel like that way! When you’ve been living with chronic anxiety for years or decades, and you’ve tried all of the go-to options—therapy, yoga, journaling, essential oils, magnesium, meditation apps—it starts to feel like nothing is ever going to work.
Do you want to know what my answer is, every single time? (In my head, I mean – I never say it out loud).
In the kindest, most loving way, my immediate response is ‘I don’t believe you’. I never do. Not because you haven’t tried. You absolutely have. And, most importantly, it’s likely not your fault.
These are the reasons why I feel that way:
- It’s impossible to try everything.
- You likely aren’t aware of techniques that could help (in fact, most people living with chronic anxiety feel like they don’t have access to enough resources)
- There is social pressure to choose from an approved list of safe approaches
- A lot of the things that can actually help you can seem scary, weird, uncomfortable, or too “woo woo.”
- You simply don’t have the time, or the money, to try everything (or the patience!)
But here’s the thing:
In my experience, it’s often the strange or uncomfortable things that have the potential to shift the ground under your feet. And it’s not the fact that they are strange or uncomfortable that they are effective – some of them aren’t. In fact, most of them aren’t. But many very effective techniques have gotten a bad rap. I’m talking about techniques that don’t just make you feel “a little better.” They shake something loose. They give your body or your brain an experience it didn’t know it needed. They ‘wake you up’.
I’ve had this experience many times, where I try something that shakes me up, and feels like it has the potential to act as a catalyst for positive change. And when they are part of a well thought-out program, a high impact catalyst can shift you out of the rut that you are in like nothing else can, while the other (more gentle) techniques, like meditation, and shifting your relationship to anxiety, help sustain that positive shift you just experienced.
So I want to challenge you a little. In the same way a friend might nudge you out onto the dance floor. Let’s talk about some things you maybe haven’t tried—or didn’t give a fair chance to because they sounded too intense or too out there.
The Power of Deep Relaxation
Most of us think we know how to relax. We watch Netflix, scroll Instagram, lie on the couch, or maybe even take a bath. And yes, those things can be relaxing. But they’re often just distraction. Or sedation. Not true, full-body relaxation.
Have you ever experienced the kind of relaxation that shifts your entire state of being? That altered, almost dreamy space where your nervous system lets go so completely that you feel like you’ve landed in a different reality? Your breath slows. Your body gets heavy. Your mind gets quiet—not because you forced it, but because it just… settled.
You might not have ever felt that. And that’s okay.
We live in a culture that doesn’t teach us how to get there, and doesn’t even value an attempt to get there. Our culture teaches us how to numb, how to hustle, how to zone out. But learning how to truly relax is a skill. A muscle you can build. And it changes everything.
When your body learns what deep safety feels like, anxiety doesn’t have as much room to take over. You begin to recognize tension as it builds. And you start to trust that you can return to calm—even in the middle of chaos.
So if you’ve ever said, “I already relax,” I gently challenge you: maybe you haven’t. Not that way, at least. But you can! And, thing about this is that you don’t need to buy anything or sign up for a class. You can learn how to relax deeply by committing to it, creating a schedule and following it. Like most things, it’s about repetition, patience and a belief that it’s possible. Also, good resources (which I have a lot of)! If you go to our Guided Meditations page on DoYogaWithMe, you’ll find about 100 recorded meditations on different topics, many of them free. I would highly recommend starting with either the album Total Body Relaxations or Letting Go: Guided Meditations and Relaxations. If you’re feeling really inspired, do my free 21-Day Relaxation Course. If you’d like me to suggest a daily schedule, comment below.
Ice and fire: hot-cold therapy is the real deal.
You’ve probably heard people talk about cold plunges like they’re the cure for everything—from anxiety to joint pain to existential dread. And while that’s a bit of an oversell, there’s actually something very real going on here.
Cold exposure triggers your sympathetic nervous system—the part responsible for your stress response—but in a way that’s controlled and safe. Over time, it teaches your body to stay calm under pressure. Studies show cold plunges can:
- Lower inflammation
- Increase dopamine
- Improve sleep
- Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
Heat exposure—like a sauna, steam room, or even a hot bath—does the opposite. It relaxes your muscles, slows your breath, and helps your body process tension. It’s grounding. Comforting. A reset button for a nervous system that’s been in survival mode.
But the magic happens when you combine them. Alternating between heat and cold trains your nervous system to move between activation and relaxation—on purpose. It’s like resilience training for your inner world.
And here’s the good news: you don’t need a fancy spa.
Try a hot shower, followed by 30 seconds of cold water at the end. Or fill a bowl with ice water and dunk your face. Or if you’re feeling bold, buy an ice bath – they’re not expensive and you likely can find one second hand.
Start small. Stay for short periods at first. Your body will adapt and you will find that you can stay longer each time. I absolutely hated it at first – and now I can stay longer than any of my friends – and, I actually want to go in! My body craves it! Let yourself scream a little (you will). Then step out of the water and notice how different your body feels. It’s intense, yes. But so is anxiety. And cold exposure helps you meet that intensity—with breath, strength, and a sense of control you maybe didn’t know you had.
Alternating between heat (like a sauna) and cold (a plunge, a shower, a lake) has been used for centuries to build resilience in the body and brain. Cold plunging in particular activates the vagus nerve and retrains your nervous system to stay calm under stress.
It’s not fun in the moment. But it’s a rush. You come out feeling reset, powerful—even a little high. And that can last for hours.
Let’s start weird and primal: scream therapy.
Yep. Screaming. Into a pillow. In your car. Into the ocean. Wherever. You know that buzzy, internal pressure that never lets up? Sometimes that’s your body begging to let it out.
It took me a long time to feel comfortable with this. I felt super self conscious, like people would judge me if they heard me. I still feel self-conscious, but I have experienced so much lasting, cathartic release that I am driven to keep doing it. So I search out spots where I feel I can be alone, like our unfinished basement or a hidden area of a forest walk.
Once again, start small. Experiment with it. The next time you’re alone, give yourself 10 seconds. Clench your fists, take in a deep breath and let out a full-body yell. Curse, cry, bark, whatever. It doesn’t need to make sense. It needs to MOVE.
No one has to hear it. But I promise, it’ll feel like exhaling something ancient. And you will feel better after.
Shake it off! Literally.
Dance therapy or somatic shaking isn’t about performing. It’s about expression. Stress and anxiety live in the body, so the body needs to MOVE to process them.
Put on a good pair of headphones or turn on the stereo if you won’t disturb anyone. Choose a song that embodies the way you are feeling in the moment. Then press play and let your body twitch, sway, stomp, spin—without thinking about how it looks. Let yourself express all of the emotions that are coming up!
And yes, you might feel ridiculous for about 30 seconds, but you’ll get over it, then you’ll realize how great it is and you’ll want to do it every day.
Breathwork: not just the chill kind.
High Ventilation Breathing (fast breath, big shift)
This one might sound intimidating, but you ultimately have control over your experience and you don’t need a guide to get started. High ventilation breathing (HVB) involves fast, rhythmic breathing in and out through the mouth for a few minutes at a time. It may cause lightheadedness, tingling, or even an emotional release—and that’s the point.
This style of breathing stimulates a strong physiological response, helping to shake up stuck emotional patterns and jolt your nervous system out of anxiety loops. It can also increase CO₂ tolerance and build nervous system resilience.
Start with 1–2 minutes, lying down or in a safe, supported position. And always end with a return to slow, grounding breaths. HVB can be an incredible tool for shifting state quickly, especially when your body feels “stuck on high.” Check out our Yoga Breathing page for HVB tutorials.
Holotropic Breathwork (yes, the intense kind)
Okay, let’s talk about the big one. Holotropic breathwork isn’t your gentle 4-4-8 or alternate nostril routine. It’s deep, fast, rhythmic breathing over an extended period of time—done lying down with music that builds in intensity, in a safe, guided space.
And here’s the wild part: it can feel like a journey. People cry, laugh, shake, shout. Memories can surface. Emotions move. It’s powerful, and yes, it can be intense—but also deeply cathartic.
For those of us living with chronic anxiety that feels buried under layers and layers of “coping,” holotropic breathwork gives the body a way to release what the mind can’t always name. It’s not for everyone, and it should absolutely be done with a trained facilitator. But if you’ve ever had the sense that your anxiety is stuck somewhere deep inside—that it’s in there and you just can’t quite reach it—this might be a tool worth exploring.
(Also: it’s way more accessible these days. There are workshops, online sessions, and trained guides all over the world now.)
Slow breath is still revolutionary.
If all of the above feels too much today, slower yogic breath techniques like alternate nostril breathing or box breath can completely flip the switch on a bad day. They train your body to regulate itself. (Also: they’re ancient. They’ve been calming anxious humans for thousands of years.) Try this:
Breathe in for 4. Exhale for 6. Do it for 5 minutes. No music, no app, no pressure.
Just breath. Just you. Just stillness. Sometimes that’s the bravest move of all.
Meditation doesn’t have to mean silence.
Some of us (hi, it’s me) don’t do well with sitting still in silence for 20 minutes. Guided meditations, walking meditations, mantra meditations—these all count. The point is presence, not perfection.
If one kind didn’t work, try another. Your brain isn’t broken. It just needs a style that speaks its language. Try our Guided Audio Meditations page or our collection of Guided Meditation videos.
Let’s Talk About Psychedelics
Okay, here’s where things get a little edgy—but also, maybe a lot more hopeful.
Psychedelics like psilocybin (magic mushrooms), MDMA, and ketamine are being studied—and in some cases, approved—for therapeutic use in treating anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more. And the results are… pretty stunning.
Let’s take psilocybin for example. A 2020 randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry found that a single high-dose session, combined with supportive therapy, led to rapid and sustained reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder. The effects lasted for weeks—sometimes months.
What makes psychedelics different is that they create a window of neuroplasticity—a kind of mental flexibility—where people can process trauma, change perspective, and even feel profound connection or self-compassion they’ve never accessed before.
They’re not for everyone, and they’re definitely not a DIY fix. But when used in a safe, therapeutic setting, with skilled guidance, psychedelics can be powerful tools for healing. Not because they do the work for you—but because they help you access the part of you that knows how to heal.
It’s not about tripping for fun. It’s about opening a door that’s been locked for too long.
And then there’s this unexpected one: weight training.
You want grounding? You want confidence? You want to feel like you can do hard things? Lift something heavy. And then do it again. Feel your feet. Your legs. Your strength.
This is nervous system work too. It builds real-world resilience. It helps you own your space. And it’s way more emotionally satisfying than people give it credit for.
Here’s the point:
You haven’t tried everything. And that’s a good thing. Because it means there are still doors you haven’t opened. Still practices you haven’t given a real shot. Still magic in the weird stuff.
No one tool will fix it all. But if you build a little toolkit—filled with breath and movement and cold water and awkward dances and heavy things and small quiet moments—you might just notice something:
It starts to get easier. The ground doesn’t shake as much. You come back to your body faster. You breathe differently in stressful moments. You remember you’re not stuck.
Because you’re not. I promise.
So here’s my challenge: Pick one thing from this list. Just one. Do it this week. Text a friend about it. Laugh if you need to. But give it a shot. Then set up a routine for yourself that is designed to sustain these little moments that are free of anxiety. Comment below if you need some help with that.
You never know which odd little practice will be the one that helps you feel like you again.