What are the natural ways to reduce anxiety?
Anxiety affects everyone, but women a almost twice as likely to experience it, this is often due to a combination of hormonal changes, social pressures, emotional labour, and the constant expectation to “hold everything together.” As a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist, I support people who feel overwhelmed, overstretched, or stuck in cycles of worry and the good news is that the brain is incredibly capable of change! Below are natural, research‑supported strategies that help reduce anxiety and restore calm, confidence, and clarity.
Why Women Experience Anxiety Differently
Women often carry a unique mental load - balancing work and home life, caring for children or ageing parents, navigating hormonal changes such as PMS, pregnancy, postpartum or perimenopause. We are also often expected to manage societal expectations to be “strong,” “capable,” and “emotionally available”. These pressures can heighten stress responses, making natural anxiety reduction tools especially valuable. So what can we do…
1. Slow Breathing to Calm the Nervous System
Some of us can often live in a state of “high alert,” especially when multitasking or caring for others. Slow, controlled breathing helps the body shift out of survival mode (or as we Solution Focused Hypnotherapists call it - the primitive brain). A 2017 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that slow breathing reduces anxiety by lowering heart rate and improving emotional regulation (Zaccaro et al., 2018). Anyone can do it, why not try this - inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6. Just two minutes can help to calm you.
2. Solution Focused Thinking to Break the Worry Cycle
In the world we live in, we are often taught to anticipate problems and “be prepared,” which can lead to overthinking. The solution focused approach helps to redirect your mind toward strengths, small steps to progress, and possibilities or goals. A 2022 systematic review found that Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) significantly reduces anxiety symptoms (Kim & Franklin, 2022). Solution Focused Hypnotherapy uses tools and techniques taken from SFBT so if you do choose to work with me you will be getting the benefits of SFBT, plus the benefits of trance! You could try this first - ask yourself: “What one small sign would show me that things are improving?” Write it down in a notebook or journal. This simple shift helps your brain notice safety instead of threat and opens your mind to possibility.
3. Gentle Movement to Release Stress Hormones
Exercise doesn’t have to mean gym sessions or intense routines. For many people, especially those with a busy routine or fatigue, gentle movement can be enough to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. A 2021 meta‑analysis in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that regular physical activity, especially low to moderate intensity, significantly reduces anxiety (Aylett et al., 2021). Why not try this - A 10 minute walk round the block, Yoga or stretching (there are so many free videos to try on YouTube!), dancing while your cleaning. Movement helps metabolise adrenaline and cortisol, the hormones that fuel anxiety.
4. Prioritise Sleep
Women are more likely to experience disrupted sleep due to hormones (especially during perimenopause), caregiving responsibilities, or stress. Poor sleep can affect REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement), if we don’t get the optimal amount of REM sleep we aren’t able to empty our stress buckets and we can wake up with less capacity to cope with the day, causing anxiety to be worse. A UC Berkeley study found that deep sleep reduces anxiety by calming emotional circuits in the brain (Ben Simon et al., 2019). You could try this to support sleep - Listen to my relaxation audio before bed (email me and I’ll send you it for free!), create a calming bedtime routine maybe something like this; dim the lights, avoid screens for an hour before you want to go to sleep, practice some slow breathing. Even small improvements in sleep quality can have a huge effect on the reduction of anxiety.
5. Try Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is especially powerful for people who feel stuck in cycles of worry, self criticism, or overwhelm. Solution Focused hypnotherapy helps calm the nervous system and build new, empowering thought patterns, individual to each person. A 2019 meta‑analysis found that hypnosis is highly effective for reducing anxiety, outperforming many other psychological interventions (Valentine et al., 2019). Why it helps - it reduces emotional overload, supports hormonal balance through relaxation, builds confidence and resilience at a pace that is right for you and can help to break the patterns of worry.
Final Thoughts
We can all carry so much emotionally, mentally, and physically. Anxiety is not a personal failing, it’s a natural response to a full stress bucket. With the right tools, your mind and body can return to balance - what ever that looks like for you! Natural strategies like intentional breath work, movement, mindfulness work beautifully together with Solution Focused Hypnotherapy to create lasting change. If you’re ready to feel calmer, more grounded, and more in control, I’d love to support you on your journey.
References
Aylett, E., Small, N., & Bower, P. (2021). Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in adults: A systematic review and meta‑analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders.
Ben Simon, E., Rossi, A., Harvey, A. G., & Walker, M. P. (2019). Overanxious and underslept. Nature Human Behaviour.
Goyal, M. et al. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well‑being: A systematic review and meta‑analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine.
Kim, J. S., & Franklin, C. (2022). Solution‑focused brief therapy: A systematic review and meta‑analysis. Journal of Research on Social Work Practice.
Valentine, K. E., Milling, L. S., Clark, L. J., & Moriarty, C. L. (2019). The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: A meta‑analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.
Zaccaro, A. et al. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology.