Five Brain-Based Strategies for Anxiety

Anxiety Therapy in Sonoma County

In my work as a psychologist in Sonoma County, I often remind my clients that anxiety isn’t just “in your head” — it’s also in your brain and your body. Anxiety reflects real, measurable patterns of brain activity that we can influence in gentle but powerful ways. Here are five evidence-informed, brain-based strategies I share with clients to help manage anxiety from the inside out.

1. Learn to Train Your Breath to Train Your Brain. 

Slow, deep breathing — especially extending your exhale — activates the vagus nerve, signaling safety to your brain’s threat detection systems. This simple shift can help dial down the amygdala’s alarm signals and encourage the prefrontal cortex (your rational mind) to regain its steady footing.

2. Neurofeedback & Biofeedback Training.

In my practice, more clients are discovering how brain training can teach the brain to produce more calming alpha waves and quiet down excessive high beta (fast) brainwaves associated with anxious rumination. Neurofeedback offers direct feedback to the brain about its activity, encouraging it to find balance naturally.

3. Use Cold Exposure or Vagal Toning Techniques. 

A splash of cold water on the face, a brief cold shower, or humming and chanting can all stimulate the vagus nerve. This helps pivot your nervous system out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-digest. It’s a simple bio-hack that supports your brain’s ability to shift gears and down-regulate anxiety.

4. Mindfulness Meditation.

When done with a self-compassionate attidue, mindfulness helps strengthen the brain’s anterior cingulate cortex, which regulates emotional reactivity. When practiced consistently, it reduces activity in the default mode network (responsible for endless worry loops) and increases gray matter density in areas that help with emotional regulation.

5. Safe, Predictable Routines for the Brain. 

Our brains crave safety and predictability. When we establish regular sleep, meal, and movement rhythms, we lower the brain’s baseline anxiety and help the nervous system find stability. Even small routines — like a consistent bedtime or morning walk — send reassuring signals to your brain that you are safe.

As a depth-oriented psychologist, I hold that anxiety is not just a “problem to fix” — it’s a signal. It invites us to listen more deeply to the body and the unconscious mind. By integrating these brain-based tools with an exploration of your inner life, you can build a more resilient, flexible nervous system and a more compassionate relationship with your anxiety.

In Sonoma County — from the redwoods to the ocean — many of us feel pulled by life’s pressures and uncertainties. My invitation is to remember: your brain is changeable. With curiosity and steady practice, you can rewire the pathways that hold anxiety in place and rediscover the safety that already lives within you.

Contact Me today if you would like to learn more about the brain-based approaches I use in my practice for Sonoma County clients with anxiety.