11 Ways to Feel Better in Any Moment

You can feel better in almost any moment by doing one small thing that breaks the loop of worry: a hand on your heart, a few slow breaths, a glass of water, a call to a friend. None of these will fix everything, but each one can give you enough of a pause to catch your breath, and that's often all you need right now.

When times are tough, we all ride the emotional ups and downs. Anxiety, fear and sadness can take over in the smallest, silliest moments. A text that isn't answered. A song in a shop. And if these feelings are new to you, they can be overwhelming, sometimes downright paralysing.

So, we're not going to ask you to overhaul your life today. Big steps aren't always possible, and that's okay. This list is simple and it's full of options. If one isn't possible where you are, try another. Some of them can be stacked on top of each other, and they work even better that way.

Most of all, these are breaks. Little exits from the cycle of negative thinking. Pick one and try it now.

Put a hand over your heart

It sounds almost too simple. But placing a hand on the centre of your chest is one of the most natural self-soothing gestures we have, and it's starting to get some research behind it. In a randomised study of 159 young adults, people who used a self-soothing touch like a hand on the heart, or who got a hug, had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol after a stressful task than people who didn't. Their heart rates and how stressed they said they felt didn't differ, so think of it as a gentle help.

Try it now. Place one hand flat on your chest, maybe the other on your belly, and notice the warmth of your own palm. If you have a partner or someone you trust nearby, ask them for a hand, literally, or a hug.

Repeat a mantra

Mantras aren't always religious. A mantra can be any word or phrase you repeat, out loud or in your head, to give your mind something steady to come back to. When you're anxious, something as plain as "I am okay" will do.

Here are a few to try:

• "This too shall pass"
• "All is well"
• "I am okay"
• "Let it go"
• "I am enough"
• "I am safe"
• "I will get better"

Pick one that feels true enough to say, put your hand on your heart, and repeat it ten times, slowly. That's your first stack.

Take slow, deep breaths

We know. You've heard this one before and you're tempted to scroll past it. Stay a moment. Your breath is the one tool you carry everywhere, whether you're in a meeting, on a bus or awake at 3am.

The NHS recommends a simple calming breath for stress, anxiety and panic: let the breath flow deep into your belly without forcing it, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, count gently from one to five on each, and keep going for at least five minutes. It works best when you practise it regularly, not only in a crisis.

Add your mantra and your hand on your heart, and you have three tools working together. For a few more ideas in the same spirit, try our ridiculously simple tips to calm yourself.

Count your blessings

No matter what you're going through, there's something in your life to be thankful for. It might be small. A warm cup of tea, a friend who always picks up, the fact that you made it through yesterday.

This isn't just a nice idea. Harvard Health notes that in positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Looking for the good keeps you grounded in what's still okay right now.

Grab a scrap of paper and write down three things you're grateful for today. Be specific. "My sister's voice note this morning" works better than "family". If you want to make it a habit, our simple gratitude practices will help.

Recount happy memories

If counting blessings is gratitude for the present, recounting happy memories is gratitude for the past. Wherever you are today and however you got here, there's something good to look back on.

If you're grieving someone, for instance, let yourself return to the beautiful moments you shared. Be grateful you had that time. Be grateful for the love and the friendship. It doesn't erase the loss, but it sets it next to something warm.

When we look back at hard times, we tend to remember only the hurt. Recalling the good gives us a fuller picture. Not everything that happened was good. But not everything was bad, either. Close your eyes and pick one memory. Where were you? What could you smell and hear? Stay there for a minute. If you'd like to go deeper, read about the ingredients of happy memories.

Talk to a friend

If you have someone you can share your feelings with, reach out. Picking up the phone and saying "I'm not okay" can feel very exposed. Do it anyway. Sometimes being heard is enough to calm everything down a notch.

Connection matters more than we give it credit for. The NHS lists connecting with other people as one of five steps to mental wellbeing, because good relationships give us a sense of belonging and emotional support.

You don't need a long conversation. Send one message right now: "Are you free for a quick call?" That's it.

Drink a glass of water

This one may feel odd. But stopping to pour a glass of water is a small physical break from the spiral, a reason to stand up, walk to the kitchen and do something with your hands.

And there's a little more to it. In a small study of 25 young women, being even mildly dehydrated was linked with a lower mood, more fatigue and trouble concentrating. It's one study, so don't expect miracles. But if you've been running on coffee all day, it's worth a try.

Fill a glass, sit down and drink it slowly. Notice how cold it is.

Take a shower

Something about water has always calmed us. There's a reason so many of us head for the beach when work has been too much. A holiday isn't always possible, but a shower usually is.

Think of it as a reset. You change your temperature, your surroundings and what your senses are taking in, all in a few minutes. A cool rinse can feel refreshing. A warm one can feel like a hug.

So, step in, let the water run over your shoulders and, if it helps, imagine your worries washing down the drain. Then put on something clean and comfortable.

Watch something funny

If nothing else is working and you have a little time, put on a comedy. Something that makes you laugh and forget yourself for a while.

Laughter really is good medicine in small doses. Mayo Clinic explains that a good laugh increases the feel-good chemicals called endorphins, fires up and then cools down your stress response, and can help your muscles relax.

Keep a short list of your go-to funny films, shows or clips in your phone's notes, so you don't have to think when you need them.

Inspire yourself

Plan ahead for the low moments. You know they'll come, so set up a little kit for them while you're feeling okay.

Make a playlist of videos or songs that lift you. Keep an ebook you love within reach. Save a few articles that made you feel hopeful.

This won't just distract you from the spiral. It reminds you, in your own handwriting, so to speak, of what you care about.

Just be

You read that right. Just be. In our opinion, this is the hardest one on the list.

When sadness or anxiety creeps in, do nothing. Acknowledge that you're feeling a certain way and stay with the feeling as it moves. Notice the things you're telling yourself, without criticism or judgment. Let the self-talk pass like clouds across the sky.

Set a timer for five minutes, sit somewhere comfortable and simply watch. After a while of just being, things often look a little different, and you can come back to what's in front of you with a clearer head.

When feeling low doesn't pass

This list is a small, incomplete set of things for hard moments. If anxiety, panic or low mood keep coming back, or don't lift, it's okay to get help. The NHS suggests seeing a GP if your low mood has lasted more than two weeks or the things you're trying aren't helping. Talking to a doctor or a therapist is a strong thing to do.

Before we go, we'd like to leave you with the phrase from our mantra list:

"This too shall pass."

It's often credited to Shakespeare's Hamlet, though the line appears nowhere in the play. It's an old adage of likely Persian origin, told in a fable about a king whose ring carried those words to steady him in both bad times and good. We love that it cuts both ways. The hard moment won't last. Neither will this one.

We believe feeling better rarely arrives all at once. It comes in small moments, one breath, one glass of water, one phone call at a time. So, try one thing from this list today, and see how you feel by tonight.

Which of these works best for you? Tell us in the comments. Your trick might be exactly what someone else needs.