Feeling anxious? Here's what a psychologist suggests you can do in just 5 minutes.

Thanks to our brand partner, Medibank

We've all been there. Sweaty palms. A quickening heartbeat. That tight feeling in your chest that makes it hard to breathe.

Yep, it's good ol' anxiety making itself known again.

If you're nodding along, you're far from alone. Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in Australia, affecting about 17.2 per cent of people aged 16 to 85, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The reality is that anxiety has become such a widespread health concern that organisations like Medibank have stepped up to be part of the solution.

Understanding that many of us struggle with challenges we shouldn't have to face alone, they now offer 24/7 Mental Health Support for health insurance members, connecting them with mental health professionals via phone or online chat. Because sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is reach out — whether to a mental health support service or someone in your trusted circle.

But what about those moments when anxiety strikes and you need relief right now? We spoke to an expert about tools you can use to help manage anxious feelings in the moment.

Turns out, some anxiety is actually good for us.

"It's called Smart Stress," explained psychologist and Medibank Mental Health Reference Group member Maria Ruberto. "There are fundamentally important levels of stress that allow us not just to function, but to develop our cognitive capacity to learn."

But it can quickly tip over into territory where it interferes with daily life, affecting our emotional reactions and self-regulation.

When those anxiety levels start to rise, there are strategies you can implement right away that actually work. Just remember, they aren't magic anxiety erasers.

"When the arousal overwhelms us, rather than trying to defend against the distress, we instead take a nurturing approach. We call this self-care," Ruberto said. "Spend a few minutes soothing yourself so that your mind and body have enough reduction in the internal noise to then better respond to the issue at hand. Attend to yourself like you would be helping someone who is distressed."

From there, you can think more clearly and be more proactive.

The physiological sigh.

Ruberto's first tip is specific breathwork that's more effective than your standard "take a deep breath".

"We make a commitment to bring our shoulders back and open up our ribcage," she said.

"It involves two sequential in-breaths — first a deep breath in through the nose, a brief pause then a quick breath in again… followed by a slow release of the out-breath through pursed lips."

Add a gentle sigh as you exhale, repeat twice.

It works by resetting your vagus nerve — the superhighway connecting your brain to every other organ in your body.

This quick reset helps your body pause and realise, "hang on, we can handle this".

As Ruberto puts it, it helps you to "bring your focus back, and think of a way forward or plan a response".

Lean into numbers before emotions.

You've probably heard the advice to "name what you're feeling" when anxiety hits.

It's good advice... eventually. But Ruberto said that when you're in peak anxiety mode, saying "I'm feeling so anxious" can actually make everything worse.

"That language becomes a feeder and keeps you in the cycle of anxiety because it's like giving yourself an instruction to stay in that state," she explained.

Instead, she suggested turning to something objective: numbers.

"You keep the technique as objective and as factual as you can, without the emotional narrative," Ruberto said.

It works like this: imagine how you're feeling on a scale from one to 10 (10 representing the height of distress) and give it a rating.

"By me saying, 'I'm a nine', suddenly what you're giving yourself is a beautiful strategy," Ruberto said.

"The second you allocate the rating, you immediately have the strategy of action. The question is: what is one small thing that I can do to bring myself from a nine to an eight?"

That one small thing might be rolling your shoulders back, stepping outside for fresh air or making a cup of tea.

Then work your way down the scale until you reach a rating where you can function again. That's where your thinking brain comes back online and you can tackle what's in front of you.

Circle clap.

This self-soothing strategy involves clapping your hands in a circle pattern.

"It's good for when you're so distressed that you can't think of numbers", Ruberto said.

"Start clapping to the same rate, speed and intensity that you feel inside".

"My aim is to do this for as long as I need to until I start to use some of that energy so that it mirrors my internal distress. Then, I'll gradually and intentionally reduce the speed of clapping… opening up my arms to make a wide and slower circle while clapping."

The genius part? It naturally leads your breathing without requiring you to focus on breathing itself.

"It helps your nervous system identify where you are and lead the way out of it," Ruberto said.

How to know when you need extra help.

There's one key point Ruberto wants all of us to understand: "You don't have to have an anxiety disorder or a clinically diagnosed anxiety to be impacted by the distress."

"There are many Australians that are living with high psychological stress that are not getting any treatment because they go, 'well, I actually don't have the disorder'," she said.

"Don't wait until the anxiety becomes a crisis. The earlier we treat our symptoms, the more likely we are to better manage and successfully live our life with those symptoms not having to interfere with the quality of our life."

"We need to be more proactive at having these conversations much earlier."

A key sign you might need professional help? When your symptoms are bigger than your strategies.

"When you realise your symptoms are such that they interfere with being able to do everyday things, being able to think properly… or that your perspective is highly pessimistic or defeatist and you have no balance to that," Ruberto said.

The best way to manage anxiety is with the help of a professional who can suggest personalised treatment plans unique to your situation.

Because there's no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health. And it's always okay to reach out for help.

Head to Medibank's website to find out more about their mental health services.

This information is general in nature and does not replace the advice of a healthcare professional. As with any medical condition, always seek health advice from a qualified healthcare professional.

Feature Image: Getty.

Medibank have made it their mission to improve the mental health of members, and all Australians, through better access, innovation and prevention.
To start, they offer health insurance members round-the-clock access to registered mental health professionals, to discuss any mental health questions and get guidance on what to do next, with Medibank's 24/7 mental health support line and webchat.