7 Simple ways to calm an overactive amygdala
When your brain is stuck in fight-or-flight mode, it can feel like you’re always on edge, waiting for the next crisis. The good news is your brain is adaptable (thanks to neuroplasticity), meaning you can retrain it to handle stress in a healthier way. By practicing techniques that reset your nervous system, you can shift from survival mode to a state of calm and balance. Here’s how:
1. Breathe your way to calm
One of the fastest ways to tell your brain you’re safe is through your breath. Deep, controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the part responsible for relaxation.
Try This: 4-7-8 Breathing
Inhale deeply through your nose for 4 seconds
Hold your breath for 7 seconds
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds
Repeat 4-5 times
This simple technique lowers your heart rate, reduces stress hormones, and brings an instant sense of relaxation.
2. Mindfulness and meditation
Mindfulness helps you step back and observe your thoughts and emotions instead of reacting to them. Over time, regular meditation can even shrink the amygdala, making you less reactive to stress.
Try This: Body scan meditation
Find a quiet space and close your eyes
Slowly shift your attention from your toes up to your head, noticing any areas of tension
Consciously relax each area as you breathe deeply
Even 5-10 minutes a day can lower anxiety, improve focus, and help you regulate emotions more effectively.
3. Move your body
Exercise helps burn off excess stress hormones and release endorphins, which naturally calm the brain. Different types of movement help in different ways:
Gentle movement (yoga, tai chi, stretching) shifts your body into a relaxed state
Cardio (walking, running, dancing) regulates mood and relieves tension
Shaking & bouncing (as used in kinesiology and somatic therapy) helps release stored stress from the body
Quick Tip: Try standing up and shaking out your arms, legs, and torso for a minute—it’s a surprisingly effective stress reset!
4. Kinesiology for emotional stress diffusion
Kinesiology techniques can help balance the nervous system and diffuse stress quickly.
Try This: Emotional Stress Diffusion (ESD) points
Lightly place your fingertips on your forehead, just above your eyebrows
Take slow, deep breaths while focusing on whatever is stressing you out
Hold for a few minutes until you feel a shift or sense of relief
These points connect to the brain’s rational-thinking areas, helping you move out of reactive mode and into a calmer state.
5. Cold water therapy
Ever noticed how a splash of cold water on your face can wake you up? That’s because cold exposure stimulates the vagus nerve, which helps regulate the nervous system.
Try This: Splash cold water on your face, place an ice pack on the back of your neck, or end your shower with a 30-second cold rinse. It’s a simple yet powerful way to calm stress.
6. Ground yourself in the present
When anxiety takes over, grounding techniques can bring you back to the present and signal safety to your brain.
Try This: 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise
Name 5 things you can see
Name 4 things you can touch
Name 3 things you can hear
Name 2 things you can smell
Name 1 thing you can taste
This helps break anxious thought loops and reconnects you to the here and now.
7. Laugh and connect
Laughter and social connection are natural stress relievers. They release feel-good chemicals like oxytocin and dopamine, which counteract anxiety and help regulate the amygdala.
Try This: Call a friend, watch a funny video, or spend time with people who lift you up. Even a few minutes of genuine laughter can shift your emotional state.
Final Thoughts
The key to calming the amygdala is consistency. The more you practice these techniques, the more your brain learns to respond to stress in a healthier way. Over time, this can reduce chronic anxiety, improve emotional resilience, and help you feel more at ease in daily life.