Heart racing, palms sweating and breath quickening? You\u2019re not alone. <\/p>\n
Stress and anxiety may be part of modern life, but for millions of Americans, these occasional mood killers have become daily struggles \u2014 and it\u2019s not just younger generations feeling the pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gallup\u2019s 2025 Global Emotions Report<\/a> found that nearly half of US adults feel significant stress every day, while more than a third report frequent worry.<\/p>\n One in three Americans will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, studies show. Allistair F\/peopleimages.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Left unchecked, it can take a serious toll on quality of life, fueling persistent irritability, burnout, feelings of hopelessness and an increased risk of depression.<\/p>\n It can also ripple into everyday functioning, raising the risk of social isolation, poor sleep, unhealthy lifestyle habits and a reduced ability to cope with basic daily demands, sometimes making it harder to keep up with work or even routine tasks.<\/p>\n Dave Asprey<\/a>, the self-proclaimed \u201ccreator of the biohacking movement,\u201d knows that reality firsthand.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to weigh 300 pounds, and I actually was full of anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, all sorts of unfortunate mental, emotional and physical issues,\u201d the longevity expert said on an episode of the \u201cCovenant Eyes Podcast<\/a>\u201d last year.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been on a 25-year journey of repairing my hardware and rewiring my nervous system and my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Dave Asprey is a leading biohacker, longevity expert and bestselling author. The Washington Post via Getty Images<\/p>\n Asprey breaks down what he\u2019s learned in his ninth book, \u201cHeavily Meditated: The Fast Path to Remove Your Triggers, Dissolve Stress, and Activate Inner Peace<\/a>,\u201d released in 2025.<\/p>\n While some of his more extreme methods \u2014 from psychedelics<\/a> to neurofeedback training<\/a> \u2014 may not be accessible to everyone, he says there are also simple, free tricks that can help calm the mind.<\/p>\n Asprey shared two of his go-to strategies with The Post for shifting the body out of \u201cfight-or-flight\u201d mode and into a calmer \u201crest-and-digest\u201d state, so you can ease anxiety quickly at home or on the go.<\/p>\n First up: Box breathing<\/p>\n \u201cChanging the way you breathe can change your entire state in a matter of minutes,\u201d Asprey said. \u201cBox breathing is one of my favorite ways to move out of fight-or-flight mode.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t just take his word for it. Soldiers<\/a>, police officers and even professional athletes use the same technique to stay calm under pressure when anxiety strikes.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it works: <\/p>\n If your mind starts to wander, picture a box and mentally trace its edges as you breathe \u2014 it can help keep your focus and rhythm steady.<\/p>\n The exercise calms the sympathetic nervous system, which drives the physical symptoms of anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n When activated under stress, the network of nerves releases adrenaline and cortisol, which can trigger a racing heart, shallow breathing, muscle tension and sweaty palms, among other effects.<\/p>\n At the same time, box breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for winding the body down after stress, shifting you into a calmer \u201crest-and-digest\u201d state.<\/p>\n Exercises like box breathing can help calm the body and mind, Asprey said. Dragana Gordic \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n One study<\/a> found that several breathwork techniques, including box breathing, can help reduce anxiety and improve mood.<\/p>\n A review of 15 studies<\/a> showed that slow breathing exercises may improve emotional control, overall well-being and psychological flexibility.<\/p>\n\n