How to Stay Present When Anxiety Wants to Ruin Your Life (Again)

Let’s be real—anxiety is basically that obnoxious friend who shows up uninvited, eats all your snacks, and then whispers, “Hey, everything’s probably going to fall apart, just so you know.”

When you’re anxious, your brain doesn’t hang out in the moment. Nope. It’s either replaying that one awkward thing you said in 2012 or rehearsing seventeen ways your future could implode by next Thursday. Meanwhile, the present moment is just sitting here, waving like, “Hi, remember me? I’m actually not that bad!”

So the million-dollar question: how do you stay present when your brain is trying to drag you into an anxiety spiral?

Step One: Call Out the Lies

Your brain is a drama queen. Anxiety loves “what if” scenarios: What if I fail? What if they hate me? What if I spontaneously combust in the middle of this meeting?

Here’s the thing: 99% of those thoughts never come true. And the 1% that does? You’ll handle it. You always do. So the first step is simple: say out loud, “This is just my anxiety talking.” It immediately breaks the spell.

Step Two: Get Back in Your Body

Anxiety wants you stuck in your head. The fastest way to shut it down? Move.

• Splash cold water on your face.

• Name five things you see in the room.

• Wiggle your toes like you’re doing some low-key, secret dance battle.

Sounds silly, but it works. Your body is basically a grounding cord pulling you back into the now.

Step Three: Shrink the Moment

When you’re anxious, the future feels HUGE and terrifying. But guess what? You don’t have to live the whole future today. You just have to live… the next five minutes.

Ask yourself: “What do I need to do in the next five minutes to take care of myself?” Maybe it’s drinking water, texting a friend, or literally just breathing. Keep shrinking the moment until it feels doable.

Step Four: Laugh at It (Seriously)

Anxiety hates humor. Try saying your worry in a cartoon voice, or picture your anxious thought as a tiny chihuahua wearing a sweater yelling at you. Suddenly, it’s a lot less intimidating.

If you can laugh at anxiety, you take away its power. Plus, humor gets you right back into the present.

Step Five: Anchor Yourself With Intention

Anxiety is reactive. Presence is intentional. So ask: “How do I want to feel right now?” Calm? Focused? Even just “less panicky” is good. Then choose one small action that matches that intention.

Presence doesn’t mean you never feel anxious. It means you remember you have a choice: to be here, now, instead of lost in the “what ifs.”

Final Thought: You’re Not Broken

If you struggle with staying present, you’re not failing—you’re human. Anxiety is just your brain trying (badly) to protect you. The fact that you’re even reading this means you’re learning how to work with it instead of letting it run the show. And that? That’s power.

So next time anxiety drags you into mental time-travel, remind yourself: I can come back. I can be here. This moment is enough.

Because it is. And so are you.