O₂ Rhythm / How to calm down fast
How to calm down fast
How to calm down fast
Maybe you know exactly what happened. Maybe you'd rather not name it. Either way, you need to feel less awful, quickly. These take about two minutes, and you can do most of them anywhere without anyone noticing.
Want to do this right now instead of reading about it? O₂ Rhythm walks you through it step by step, starting with your breathing.
Start calming down Free. No download, no account. Nothing you write leaves your phone.Start with your body, not your thoughts
When you're upset, your body speeds up: faster heart, tight chest, shallow breathing. You can't argue your way out of that. But you can calm it from the outside in, and your mind usually follows.
Five ways to calm down in about 2 minutes
1. Breathe out longer than you breathe in
In through your nose for 4, out slowly through your mouth for 6 to 8. A long exhale is one of the most direct ways to slow your heart rate.
2. Two breaths in, one long breath out
Take a breath in through your nose, then a second short one on top of it, then let it all out slowly through your mouth. Two or three rounds is often enough to take the edge off.
3. Cold water
Splash your face, hold something cold, or run cold water over your wrists. The shock of cold helps interrupt the spiral.
4. Squeeze and release
Press your palms together, grip something, or tighten your shoulders as hard as you can for 10 seconds. Then let go all at once.
5. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell and 1 you taste. It brings you back to right now.
After you've calmed down a little
Once the worst of it has passed, it helps to get what happened out of your head. Write a few lines somewhere private, just for you. Then, if you want, let someone know:
- "Rough day. Can you call me later?"
- "I don't want to talk about it, but can we just hang out?"
- "I'm okay, but I had a hard moment and wanted someone to know."
How O₂ Rhythm helps with this
O₂ Rhythm is a free app for the minutes after a hard moment, built around these same three steps:
- Regulate: guided breathing and quick body resets you can do anywhere, even in a bathroom or your car.
- Reflect: a private place to write it all out. It stays on your phone and nobody else sees it.
- Connect: real letters from people who've been where you are, and help putting together that first text when you're ready.
Something happened? Start here.
Open O₂ Rhythm Works in your browser. You can add it to your home screen later if it helps.Common questions
What is the fastest way to calm down?
Slow your breathing so each breath out is longer than the breath in. Most people feel a difference within a minute or two. Cold water and squeezing then releasing your muscles also work quickly.
How can I calm down without anyone noticing?
Long, quiet exhales, pressing your feet into the floor, and silently naming things around you all work in a meeting, a classroom or a store, and nobody can tell.
What if breathing exercises make me more anxious?
That happens to some people. If paying attention to your breath feels worse, try movement, cold water or the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 exercise instead. Use whatever actually helps you.