Building Your Anxiety Toolkit: How to Lower the Lava Before It Erupts

When Anxiety Feels Like Lava

As the holidays approach, a time filled with both joy and pressure, it’s common for anxiety to bubble up more than usual. Maybe it’s the endless to-do lists, travel plans, family dynamics, mid term exams or simply the change in routine. Anxiety rarely arrives all at once; it builds, slowly and steadily, like lava rising inside a volcano.

Imagine that lava starting in your toes. On calm days, it sits low, warm but manageable. On stressful days, or months, it creeps up your legs, your chest, and, eventually, your neck. When it gets that high, it doesn’t take much - a small comment, a traffic jam, a spilled cup of coffee - for the volcano to erupt.

The goal of anxiety management isn’t to eliminate the lava entirely. Anxiety is part of being human—it helps us stay alert and respond to challenges. The goal is to lower the lava so it never reaches the point of eruption. That’s where your anxiety toolkit comes in.

Preventative Tools: Keeping the Lava Low

Preventative care for anxiety is like regular maintenance for your emotional health. It’s what helps you stay steady and grounded before anxiety builds to a breaking point.

1. Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness doesn’t mean sitting perfectly still for an hour—it’s about noticing the present moment without judgment. When you tune into your breath, body, or surroundings, you’re signaling to your nervous system: I am safe right now.

Try this short daily practice: close your eyes, place a hand on your chest, and take three deep breaths. Feel the rise and fall. This simple act helps lower your baseline anxiety over time.

2. Box Breathing (4-4-4-4 Technique)

Box breathing is a powerful, evidence-based CBT tool often used by first responders and athletes to regulate the body’s stress response:

• Inhale for 4 seconds
• Hold for 4 seconds
• Exhale for 4 seconds
• Hold for 4 seconds

Repeat this cycle a few times when you start to feel the lava rise. It slows your heart rate and tells your brain it’s safe to relax.

3. Movement and Nature

A brisk 10-minute walk, stretching, or yoga can dramatically shift anxiety levels. Movement releases endorphins, while time outdoors grounds you through your senses—the feeling of air on your skin, the sound of leaves, the rhythm of your steps. This is mindfulness in motion.

4. Music and Soothing Sounds

Music is a direct line to the emotional brain. Create a “calm playlist” filled with songs that remind you of peace, safety, or joy. Listening when you feel tense helps regulate your emotions and lowers physiological arousal.

5. Self-Compassion and Grace

The holidays often bring pressure about how we “should” feel or show up. But grace is one of the most powerful anxiety management tools there is. You are allowed to show up as you are—imperfectly human. Remember: there is no growth in shame; shame fuels anxiety, while self-compassion cools the lava.

Reactive Tools: When the Lava Reaches the Neck

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, anxiety builds fast. When that happens, we move from preventative care to reaction management. Here’s how to keep a potential eruption under control:

1. Name What’s Happening

In CBT, awareness is the first step toward change. Simply saying, “I’m noticing my anxiety is really high right now,” creates a small but powerful pause. It separates you from the emotion, giving you room to respond intentionally rather than react impulsively.

2. Check the Facts 

Anxiety often tells us stories that feel true but aren’t grounded in fact. When your thoughts spiral, pause and ask: “What do I know to be true right now?”

This helps anchor you in reality and reduces catastrophic thinking.

3. Temperature Change 

When panic feels close, use temperature to shift your body’s state. Splash cold water on your face, hold an ice cube, or step outside briefly. This activates the body’s “dive reflex,” slowing your heart rate and helping you regain calm.

4. Reframe Your Thoughts

Cognitive reframing is a core CBT tool. Instead of “I can’t handle this,” try:

“This feeling is uncomfortable, but it’s temporary.”
“I’ve managed anxiety before; I can manage it again.”
This shift quiets anxious thoughts and reminds you of your resilience.

5. Grounding Through the Senses (5-4-3-2-1 Technique)

When your thoughts race, use this sensory grounding tool:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

It’s a fast and effective way to bring your attention back to the present moment.

The Power of Beginning Again

One of the most compassionate principles in therapy is that you can always begin again.

Progress isn’t about how rarely you feel anxious—it’s about how often you notice it and choose to respond with care. Every time you pause, breathe, and redirect your energy, you’re lowering your lava.

Maybe you forget your breathing practice for a week. Maybe you lose your patience at a family gathering. That’s okay. The moment you remember to come back to yourself—to pause and respond in alignment with your values—you’re practicing growth.

As the holidays draw near, may you give yourself permission to rest, to show up as you are, and to practice grace for yourself and others. You’re not failing when you feel anxious; you’re learning to manage the lava. And with each pause, each breath, and each moment of awareness, you’re cooling the volcano—one day at a time.

If you or someone you know could benefit from working with an anxiety specialist to learn new coping skills to help manage the lava, schedule a free consultation call or initial evaluation with one of our anxiety therapists at Houston Anxiety and Wellness Center. You don’t have to manage alone, we’re here to help.