Supplements & other paths to calm
Breathing is the foundation, but a few other things help with calm too. A short overview of what research actually says about them.
Magnesium
Magnesium has recently become one of the most popular supplements for calm, largely thanks to social media. Reviews show that in people prone to anxiety or with lower magnesium levels, supplementing may slightly improve feelings of calm and sleep quality, though the evidence is not yet strong — studies tend to be small and use different forms and doses. It's a cheap, safe supplement with minimal side effects, so it's worth trying, ideally after checking with a doctor (especially for people with kidney issues).
L-theanine
An amino acid from green tea that, according to EEG studies, increases relaxed but alert alpha brain waves without causing drowsiness. In small studies, a dose of around 200 mg before a stressful situation slightly reduced anxiety and the body's stress response. Unlike classic sedatives, it doesn't slow reaction time or affect memory, and combined with caffeine (like in a cup of tea) it helps ease the jitters caffeine can cause on its own.
Cold showers
Cold first triggers a brief stress shock — heart rate and breathing speed up for a few seconds and stress hormones are released. Only afterward does the vagus nerve activate and calm set in: heart rate drops below baseline and the nervous system shifts into a calmer mode. A 2022 study confirmed that applying cold to the face after a stressful task calmed heart rate and subjective stress faster than without the cold. People with heart problems, high blood pressure, or who are pregnant should only try cold exposure after consulting a doctor.
Caffeine and anxiety
The relationship between caffeine and anxiety isn't clear-cut. At smaller doses, and in people used to regular consumption, caffeine often improves focus and mood; at higher doses or in more sensitive people, it raises cortisol and can trigger or worsen nervousness and a racing heart. If you're prone to anxiety or sleep poorly, it can help to limit caffeine to the morning and watch how your body responds — for some, even one extra cup is enough to bring on restlessness.
Progressive muscle relaxation
Edmund Jacobson's method from the 1930s works by progressively tensing and releasing individual muscle groups from the feet up to the face — the body learns to better recognize the difference between tension and release, which helps it notice and let go of hidden tension we don't usually notice. Recent reviews confirm that regular practice reduces anxiety, stress and depressive symptoms, including in older adults or those in hospital care. A session usually lasts 5 to 20 minutes and can be done anywhere, sitting or lying down.
Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness means consciously and non-judgmentally focusing attention on the present moment — most often the breath, bodily sensations, or sounds around you. The best-known and best-studied program is the eight-week MBSR course, created in the 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn. A large 2014 meta-analysis of dozens of studies found that meditation programs lead to a mild but consistent improvement in anxiety, depression and pain perception, comparable to other active therapies.
Diet and adequate protein
Protein supplies tryptophan, needed to produce serotonin, and also slows the absorption of sugar from food — helping prevent blood-sugar swings that can mimic anxiety (shakiness, a racing heart, irritability). A healthy adult needs roughly 0.8-1.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, spread across meals. Watch out especially for highly processed foods and excess added sugar, which recent studies link to a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Sugar and dopamine
Fast-absorbing sugar triggers dopamine release in the brain's reward pathway — the same one activated by addictive substances — so sweets bring a quick wave of good mood. A few hours later, though, blood sugar drops and mood drops with it, leading to cravings for more sweets; protein and fiber ease this crash. In animals, repeated access to large amounts of sugar leads to tolerance-like effects and fewer dopamine receptors; in humans, the question of "sugar addiction" is still debated, but high sugar intake is repeatedly linked to higher rates of depression in studies.
This is just a short overview of the topics. The full texts with study sources are available directly in the app, in the Supplements & other paths to calm section. This is not medical advice — don't start taking supplements without consulting a doctor.