Beyond Food and Fitness: Holistic Practices to Ease Anxiety Naturally

If you’ve been following along in this anxiety series, you know I’m a big believer in the power of food and daily habits to help manage anxiety. We’ve talked about how sleep, movement, connection, hydration, and plant-based nutrition can support a calmer, more grounded nervous system.

But there’s more!

In this third part, we'll dive into holistic and alternative practices—many backed by science—that have helped me (and many others) reduce anxiety, reconnect with the body, and feel more at peace in the present moment. These are gentle, nourishing tools that can complement your lifestyle and remind you that healing can be simple, sensory, and even enjoyable. Let's get into some evidence-based holistic practices to ease anxiety naturally.

Holistic Practices to Ease Anxiety Naturally

🌬️Breathwork: Your Built-In Reset Button

It’s fascinating that one of the simplest and always-available tools to help quell anxiety is with you at all times: your breath. It regulates your nervous system, and therefore every system in your body. Nasal breathing enforces this.

One of the major underlying sources of anxiety is fear. Fear often stems from what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. With each deep belly breath, you are able to stay in the present, now. This humming, buzzing breath, also known as brahmari, brings you immediately back to your core self—your center.

Try this: Take a deep nasal breath into your belly, resting your tongue on the roof of your mouth. As you do a long, slow, deliberate exhale, hum or buzz. Do this at least three times. See how it makes you feel. It tends to be an almost instant anxiety reliever.*

*Contribution by Jill Nussinow, MS, RDN and breathwork facilitator, a.k.a The Veggie Queen

🌲Forest Bathing: Let Nature Regulate Your Nervous System

Sometimes, the most healing thing we can do is go outside and just be. Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is the practice of immersing yourself in nature—slowly, mindfully, and with all your senses. It doesn’t require a hike or a workout. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Forest bathing is about stillness and presence.

Studies show that spending time in green spaces lowers cortisol levels, heart rate, and even blood pressure. It also increases parasympathetic nervous system activity—the branch of your nervous system responsible for rest and relaxation. Think of it as nature’s therapy, and it’s completely free!

Try this: Step into your yard, a local park, or any space that provides a bit of greenery and take extra notice of the nature surrounding you by seeing the trees, smelling the flowers, or feeling the leaves. Engaging all of your senses can bring this practice (and you!) to life.

🧘‍♀️Yoga: Movement That Calms, Not Just Strengthens

Yoga is much more than stretching or strength-building—it’s a moving meditation. Through conscious breath, gentle movement, and focused attention, yoga brings you into the present and out of the mind loops that often fuel anxiety.

Research shows that yoga increases GABA (a calming brain chemical) and can help regulate stress hormones. If you’ve ever rolled up your mat after savasana feeling like a new person, this is why. Even just 10–15 minutes of slow, mindful yoga can ground your energy and shift your perspective.

Try this: Yoga isn't just for the bendy. It's for everyone. Try these three restorative gentle yoga poses to help keep you cool and calm this summer.

🧠 Mindfulness & Meditation: Training Your Mind to Stay

Mindfulness is the art of paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment—without judgment. That might sound simple, but in an age of distraction, it’s radical. And powerful.

Meditation doesn’t mean emptying your mind; it means noticing your thoughts and choosing to stay rooted in the here and now. Studies have shown that even a few minutes of daily mindfulness meditation can reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and support long-term brain health.

Try this: Start with 5 minutes of breath-focused meditation or try a guided body scan before bed.

🎨 Creative Expression: Art as a Healing Outlet

When anxiety is buzzing through your body, creative expression gives it a place to go. Whether it’s painting, dancing, journaling, or playing music, engaging in creativity helps reduce stress, quiet the mind, and release emotion in a non-verbal way.

You don’t have to be “good” at art for it to be therapeutic. The act of creating is the medicine.

Try this: Grab a journal or notebook and start writing. Consider writing about what lights you up inside. This could be your pet, grandkids, gardening, or anything that makes you radiate from the inside out.

🪔 Aromatherapy: Scent as a Soothing Signal

Essential oils like lavender, chamomile, and bergamot have been shown to reduce anxiety by calming the nervous system. When inhaled, they stimulate the limbic system—the part of your brain tied to emotions and memory.

Try diffusing lavender before bed, applying a calming blend to your wrists, or simply taking a few mindful inhales of your favorite scent during moments of stress.

Tip: Rosemary has also been shown to stimulate feel-good emotions with its aroma alone — if you cook with rosemary, take a moment to close your eyes and notice it's aroma before adding it to your dish.

🐾 Animal Connection: The Comfort of a Companion

Spending time with animals has been shown to boost oxytocin (the love hormone) and reduce cortisol. Whether it’s cuddling your pup, watching fish swim, or visiting a farm sanctuary, animals have a magical way of helping us feel safe, loved, and present.

Consider this: Adopting, fostering, or taking a shelter pet out for a day can be transformative for both you and the pet. Contact your local rescue and animal shelter to see how you can help.

🌟 Final Thoughts

Anxiety isn’t always something we can “think” our way out of—but we can feel our way through it with the help of supportive practices like breathwork, time in nature, movement, and creative connection.

The best part? These tools are accessible. They’re rooted in ancient wisdom, supported by science, and available to you—right now.

You don’t have to do them all. Just start with one. One breath. One tree. One yoga pose. One scent. One soft, supportive moment with yourself.

That’s where healing begins. 💚