Magda's Blog

Tag: self-reflection

  • Feel It in Your Body: How Awareness Helps You Tame Anxiety

    Feel It in Your Body: How Awareness Helps You Tame Anxiety

    You know that old song that goes, “I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes. Anxiety’s all around me, and so the feeling grows.” Okay, okay, I know it’s “love,” not anxiety, but as a human with eyes, ears, and a brain living in the USA in 2025, emotions aren’t exactly running at full capacity. So what’s a girl to do?

    Fortunately for me, I’ve built an arsenal of tools to help myself because anxiety has been my lifelong companion. And like any tools, knowing when and how to use them is key. But before you can do that, you need to understand what you’re actually experiencing. (Don’t roll your eyes — I promise this will be helpful!)

    Body + Mind = You

    Think back to the last time you felt anxious. Describe it. Write it down if you can. How detailed is your description? More than a couple of short sentences?

    Now, pretend you have zero context for what you wrote. Read it out loud. How many different things could those words describe? If you wrote “tightness in my chest,” that could also be fear, excitement, a heart attack, acid reflux, or grief — not just anxiety.

    In coach or counselor training, there’s a concept called “Hands, Heart, Head” (or “Sensations, Emotions, Thoughts”). It’s a check-in exercise to help you fully understand what you’re experiencing. Let’s break it down in the context of anxiety.

    Understanding Your Baseline

    When anxiety hits, pausing to analyze your thoughts, emotions, and sensations isn’t exactly instinctive. That’s why it’s essential to know your baseline — what you feel like when you’re calm — so you can spot when anxiety creeps in and choose the right tool to manage it.

    What Are You Experiencing Right Now?

    Let’s assume you’re not anxious at the moment. (If you are, that’s okay — just repeat this when you’re calm.)

    Emotions (Heart) — What emotions are you feeling? When you’re not anxious, you might feel calm, content, or neutral. For me, neutral feels like autopilot — the emotion of doing dishes or vacuuming. It’s not exactly chill, but it’s steady.

    Thoughts (Head) — What’s running through your mind? When I’m neutral, my brain still hums along. I’m curious, so I rarely experience true mental quiet. But during certain activities — sewing, gardening, walking — my mind finally stills. Knowing this helps me recognize when my thoughts start spiraling.

    Sensations (Hands) — What’s happening in your body? This is the most crucial part. We often dismiss physical sensations, which makes it easy to miss anxiety’s early signals until it’s overwhelming.

    For example, I used to get the classic chest tightness and throat lump. Now, thanks to the state of the world (looking at you, Trump and Musk), my anxiety manifests as a bizarre tingling in my limbs — worst in my toes, but also in my biceps and around my mouth. It feels like my skin and flesh are buzzing separately, in conflict with each other. I hate it.

    To map your baseline, try this exercise:

    1. Find a quiet space: Silence your phone, get comfortable, and either lie down or sit with your feet grounded.
    2. Close your eyes: Start at the top of your head and mentally scan down to your toes.
    3. Name the sensations: Are you feeling pressure, warmth, coolness, tingling, or tension? Get as detailed as possible. It might feel silly to “check in with your ribcage,” but the more specific you get, the better you’ll know what “neutral” feels like.

    Doing this regularly builds awareness, making it easier to spot shifts when anxiety shows up. Humans are incredibly adaptable — we get used to things, even discomfort. I could’ve brushed off my tingling feet as being cold, but by recognizing the pattern, I knew it was anxiety and took steps to address it.

    Awareness Is Power

    The goal is to understand your neutral state so you can recognize when things shift. A simple journaling practice helps: Every few days, write down answers to these questions:

    • How are you feeling?
    • How do you know?

    After a few entries, look back. Are your descriptions getting more detailed? Has your language changed? Noticing these shifts is powerful.

    When I realized my tingling feet weren’t just from cold, I reached out to my doctor. I already practice box breathing when anxiety builds, which helps, but this sensation lingered. My doctor prescribed medication to support me for now — fingers crossed it helps.

    The silver lining? This anxiety pushed me to write again, and for that, I’m grateful.

    So, what are you feeling right now? And how do you know?

    Let me know — I’d love to hear from you.

  • Box breathing to help you relax

    Box breathing to help you relax

    There’s a lot wrong with the world right now. My head and heart alternate in what hurts – and that’s just from “first-world problems.” I don’t want to belittle anyone’s experience, including my own, but it’s good to keep perspective. I can’t solve anyone’s problems, but what I can do, is offer a technique that helps me cope whenever I feel like there’s a vice on my chest – box breathing. It’s an easy and effective little tool to help you out in the moment.

    What is box breathing?

    Box breathing is a controlled breathing exercise where you inhale, hold your breath, exhale, and hold again — all for equal counts, typically four seconds each. It’s called “box” breathing because the pattern of breath creates a mental image of a square, with each side representing a phase of the practice.

    This technique is used by Navy SEALs, athletes, and mindfulness practitioners alike to build resilience, enhance focus, and manage stress. But you don’t have to be in a high-stakes situation to benefit from it — box breathing is just as helpful in everyday life. I use it multiple times a day (a lot more lately LOL).

    I like to know how things work and why they work so let’s first look at the steps to practice box breathing and then the mechanics behind it.

    How to practice box breathing

    Ideally, I’d start with “get comfortable,” but that’s not always possible when the world is burning around you. So let’s settle for “pause what you’re doing,” shall we? (For example, I’ve pulled over to the side of the road when driving to rescue my mind with box breathing. Once you recognize that you need it, just stop and take a minute to reset.)

    If possible, sit down, with your feet flat on the ground and hands resting on your lap. I find that closing my eyes is super helpful as well.

    1. Inhale for 4 seconds – Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose for a count of 4.
    2. Hold your breath for 4 seconds
    3. Exhale for 4 seconds – Slowly breathe out through your mouth for a count of 4.
    4. Hold for 4 seconds – Hold your breath on the bottom of the exhale for a count of 4 before beginning the next inhale.

    Repeat for at least three rounds to notice a difference, but go for as long as you like. For me, a minute or so is ideal, but you do you. Also, if the 4 seconds on each step feel off to you, add or subtract as you see fit. Just keep all four phases even.

    The science behind box breathing

    In simplest terms, box breathing helps regulate your body’s nervous system and brings you into a state of balance. (Scroll all the way down for a few links to relevant studies.)

    There are actually many techniques for “slow breathing,” many of which have a similar positive effect on your body. Take a look at this paper from NIH, which reviewed and links to multiple studies on breathing practices. I happen to know and love box breathing, so that’s my go-to when it comes to breathing exercises.

    Box breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system.

    Your body has two main nervous system responses: the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the “fight or flight” response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for the “rest and digest” response). When you’re stressed, your body stays in a high-alert state, which can lead to chronic anxiety, fatigue, and even physical health issues. Box breathing helps shift your body into the parasympathetic state, lowering your heart rate and promoting relaxation. Activating the parasympathetic nervous system helps your body return to a state of calm, allowing you to think more clearly and feel more at ease.

    Box breathing helps balance your oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

    The even, measured rhythm of box breathing optimizes your body’s oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, preventing symptoms of hyperventilation like dizziness. Proper gas exchange is crucial for mental clarity and physical relaxation. When these gases are in balance, your brain and body can function more efficiently, leaving you feeling grounded and alert.

    Box breathing reduces cortisol levels.

    Deep, intentional breathing has been shown to lower cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. High cortisol levels can contribute to anxiety, poor sleep, weight gain, and even long-term health issues. By reducing cortisol through box breathing, you’re giving your body a chance to recover and recharge.

    Box breathing aids mindfulness and awareness.

    The structured, repetitive nature of box breathing brings your attention to the present, much like a meditation practice. When you focus on your breath, you interrupt anxious thought patterns and create mental space. This makes it easier to experience a sense of calm, even in the middle of a chaotic day.

    Use box breathing whenever you need it

    Box breathing isn’t a magic cure-all for the chaos of life, but it is a powerful tool to carry with you. It’s a quick, accessible way to reset your body and mind whenever you need it. By practicing this technique regularly, you’re not just calming your body in the moment – you’re training yourself to handle everyday difficulties more effectively over time. So the next time life feels overwhelming, remember that your breath is always there to guide you towards calm.

    Here are some resources to support this article and for further reading on the relationship between breathing and stress/anxiety: