Untangle

Why it helps: Slow, even breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system and tells your body it is safe — which makes racing thoughts easier to step back from.

1. 1.Sit with your feet on the floor and soften your shoulders.
2. 2.Follow the circle: breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4.
3. 3.Complete at least 6 rounds. If your mind wanders, just return to the count.

Why it helps: Thoughts held in working memory keep circling. Writing them down offloads them, and sorting what you can and cannot influence stops wasted rumination.

1. 1.Write every worry, task, and nagging thought — one per line, no editing.
2. 2.Sort each one: is it something you can act on, or outside your control?
3. 3.For one item you can act on, write the very next tiny step.

Why it helps: Worry postponement is a well-studied technique: giving worry a fixed 15-minute slot teaches your brain it does not need to deal with everything right now.

1. 1.Pick a 15-minute slot later today (not right before bed).
2. 2.When a worry pops up before then, note it and tell yourself “later”.
3. 3.At worry time, go through the list. Many items will have lost their grip.