When you feel sudden anxiety, your body drops into an automatic danger mode. Your heart beats fast, your chest feels tight, and your breathing gets short.

When this happens, trying to think happy thoughts or use logic rarely works. This is because your brain is too busy trying to protect you from a fake danger.

The simplest way to minimize anxiety is to fix your body first. When you calm your physical body, your body sends a safety message back up to your mind.

Try these three simple physical tricks next time you feel anxious:

• Breathe out slowly: Make your exhale much longer than your inhale.
• Splash cold water: Put cold water on your face to slow your heart rate down.
• Drop your shoulders: Unclench your jaw and let your tight shoulders drop.

Once your body relaxes, your racing thoughts will stop automatically.

Which of these simple tricks helps you calm down the fastest?