Practical Things To Do In An Hour For Anxiety

Seven low-effort resets that can calm anxiety fast

I find it easy to feel anxious. I also know what it is like when it turns into a full body fog where everything feels harder than it should. Over the years, I have learned to live with the situation. For more than a decade I have experimented with different ways to drag myself out of a hole, not with grand life overhauls, but with small resets that create just enough headspace to breathe again.

So let’s get into practical things you can do in an hour. These are things I have tried and tested, time-and-time again. Nothing heroic. Nothing that needs loads of motivation. Just simple actions that can interrupt the spiral.

A quick note before we start

These are not cures, and they are not therapy. They are tools that can help you regulate, distract, discharge nervous energy, and get your brain to cool down.

If your anxiety feels persistent, overwhelming, or is affecting daily life, it is worth speaking to your GP or a qualified professional. If you feel at risk or unsafe, contact NHS 111 (or 999 in an emergency) or reach out to Samaritans.

Play with LEGO

This is no longer a kids-only activity. The snap and click of bricks is oddly grounding. It gives your hands something to do and your brain something concrete to focus on.

Try this for one hour

• Pick a small build, or even freestyle it with whatever bricks you have.
• Put your phone on Do Not Disturb.
• Build slowly, and stay with the tactile side of it, the sorting, the fitting, the small wins.
• If kits feel pricey, go smaller, buy second-hand, or pick up a basic box. It still works.

Play darts without drilling the wall

Gone are the days when you had to make your home look like a pub from 1997. Dartboard stands exist, and they are a brilliant way to focus on something simple, repetitive, and satisfying.

Try this for one hour

• Set up a stand and keep it low-fuss.
• Play “first to 301” (or 101 if you want it even simpler).
• Use a dart counter app so you are not doing maths while your brain is already busy.
• If you can rope someone in, even better. My brother and I love a game, even if he wins about 75 percent of the time.

Take some cool photos

You don’t need a state-of-the-art mirrorless camera to take great images. A phone is more than enough. Check out my blog on the subject. The point is attention, not perfection.

Try this for one hour

• Pick a tiny theme: “red things”, “shadows”, “reflections”, “interesting doors”.
• Take 20 photos. No pressure to post any of them.
• When you get home, choose your favourite three and delete the rest.
• If you want a deeper version, I have also written about using photography as a form of meditation. An hour flies by, and I tend to feel noticeably calmer afterwards.

Watch something inspiring or funny

When anxiety is running the show, your brain can feel like it is revving in neutral. Sometimes you need something engaging enough to interrupt the loop.

For me, Top Gear (the Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond era) and The Grand Tour are reliable comfort viewing.

Try this for one hour

• Choose one episode, not endless scrolling.
• Make it intentional, blanket, tea, lights down.
• The goal is to stop your brain running as hot as a supercar. You are allowed to switch it off for a bit.

Go for a walk with something in your ears

It’s amazing how much you can relax and think at the same time when you are walking. The movement helps, and audio can give your mind a track to follow.

During my recovery from depression in 2013, I discovered audiobooks and never looked back. James Holland, Ben Macintyre, and Rowland White are among my favourites.

Try this for one hour

• Put on a podcast or audiobook before you step outside.
• Walk somewhere easy. No need for a big route.
• If your mind wanders, bring it back to pace, breath, and the story.

Have a natter

Anxiety loves isolation. Conversation can shrink it back down to size.

Make a brew, ideally Yorkshire Tea, and speak to someone you love and respect. Not someone who will fix you, just someone who can listen.

Try this for one hour

• Start simple: “I’m feeling a bit anxious today. Can I talk at you for ten minutes?”
• If you do want advice, ask for it. If you just want a calm ear, say that too.
• End with something practical: “Right. I’m going to eat, shower, and take a short walk.”

Make some bread

Mixing dough and kneading it is a very good way to burn off nervous energy. It is physical, repetitive, and you get something real at the end of it.

Try this for one hour

• Use a simple recipe. Nothing fancy.
• Put music on and commit to the process.
• Focus on the sensory bits: the feel of the dough, the rhythm of kneading, the smell in the kitchen.
• Bonus: you control the ingredients, and you can skip the preservatives common in many commercial loaves.

Closing thought

Those techniques are tried and tested for me. They do not remove anxiety from life, but they can reduce the volume and create enough space to reset.

If you try one, let me know what worked. And if you know someone who is quietly struggling, share this with them.

Help someone find headspace. Share this.

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