When acute stress or anxiety hits, your brain shifts into survival mode. You can’t think your way out of it.

“When you are stressed, your body is in a stress-response state,” says Robin Cruise, a behavioral health professional at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. “Before you can problem-solve, make decisions, or think clearly, your body needs to receive signals that you’re safe.”

Why you can’t think your way out of stress

Robin Cruise: When people experience acute stress, the brain prepares for fight, flight or freeze. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol increase. Higher-level thinking — reasoning and decision-making — becomes less available. The brain is prioritizing safety over strategy. This is why telling yourself to “calm down” doesn’t work.

One way to understand how the body responds to stress is to watch what happens with horses.  Equine assisted psychotherapy uses interactions with horses to help people manage stress. Horses are highly attuned to human nervous systems. If you approach a horse while anxious, the horse becomes unsettled or disengaged.

When you slow down, breathe and ground yourself, the horse responds differently. It becomes connected, more willing to engage, and calmer. People may see right away that when they calm their body, the horse feels safer and calmer, too.

This illustrates a powerful lesson. When stress is high, taking steps to regulate your body first may help you think more clearly — at work or with a horse.

Try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique

Robin Cruise: The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is an exercise to help ground you in the present at times when your mind is dominated by anxious thoughts. It works by engaging the sensory nervous system. This shifts brain activity away from threat detection and back toward present awareness. It helps bring the brain back online for clear thinking, focus, and decision making. Try thinking of these:

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

Focusing on the world immediately around you can interrupt anxious thought patterns. It moves you away from “what ifs” and into “the now.”

Many people feel better within 30 seconds to a few minutes. It may not eliminate stress completely, but it can restore a sense of control.

This technique may be helpful in situations where emotions feel overwhelming. One of the best things about it is that it can be done without anyone noticing it. Other people might think you are simply pausing or observing. Other effective grounding techniques

Robin Cruise: The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is not the only way to manage stress. Controlled breathing is another effective approach. Inhale for 4 seconds, then exhale for 6 to 8 seconds. Longer exhales signal safety to the brain. This can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system — the opposite of the fight-or-flight response.

Being out in nature is also grounding. Observing natural elements like trees, water and clouds may encourage mindfulness. Activities like hiking and gardening can help you feel more centered and relaxed. Try different grounding techniques to learn what works for you.

“Managing stress begins with recognizing what your body is doing at the moment,” Robin says. “Learn to tune into your body’s responses and work to guide it back to a state of safety.”

If stress is affecting your daily life, consider reaching out to a health care provider or mental health professional for support

More from Robin Cruise on WellTuned

Get more information about specific health terms, topics and conditions to better manage your health on bcbst.com. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members can access wellness-related discounts on fitness products, gym memberships, healthy eating and more through Blue365®. BCBST members can also find tools and resources to help improve health and well-being by logging into BlueAccess and going to the Managing Your Health tab.