Yoga Poses for Anxiety to Help Stop Your Midday Spiral

Each day at around 2 p.m., I become convinced that the day has gotten away from me. No matter how productive my morning has been, that early afternoon mental alarm convinces me that I have accomplished nothing, sending me into a fun little spiral of to-do list reconfiguration, time blocking, and quiet panic. Consider it the anxious cousin of the (perhaps more common) midday slump.

Whenever this spiral occurs, I’ve found that certain yoga poses for anxiety—or at least, poses that ease my anxiety—help stop the madness. And they do so in very little time. Dropping into my favorite shapes quickly slows my mental chatter, slowing my sense of urgency to far more reasonable and manageable levels.

The particular pose that helps depends on the day and my mood. Some afternoons call for more chill restorative poses that help me breathe through the moment. Others require a posture with a little more oomph, the sort that gets my blood flowing and distracts me from the defeating (and also untrue) sense that there aren’t enough hours in the day.

Regardless, after several deep breaths, I usually feel a lot better and able to step into the next phase of the day with a more rational mindset.

7 Yoga Poses for Anxiety (Or Whatever You Feel in the Afternoon)

From floor time to a reminder to look beyond what’s directly in front of me, these poses get me out of my head and back into my body.

1. Savasana

Look, a little floor time never hurt anyone. In fact, succumbing to your overwhelm, to the point where all you want is to lie down in a dark room, is among the most efficient ways to move past it. Savasana is medicine. Breathe deeply here for 1 minute, 5 minutes, or 20 minutes.

2. Eagle Pose

Sometimes a shift of focus is all that’s needed to move through an afternoon slump. Eagle Pose, with its twisted limbs and one-legged balance, demands all your attention. While some yogis dread Eagle, I find comfort in the pretzel pose, almost as if I’m giving myself a very complicated hug. Finding ease in this posture helps me invite an easier energy into the remainder of my day.

3. Locust Pose

Locust Pose asks that you fire it all up. The backbend is a quick way to counter all of the hunching and slouching you’re accustomed to, and engages your core as you lift your heart. On a particularly rough day, a dynamic version of Locust—one where I take flight, slowly lower to the mat, and repeat—helps me flutter out of the funk.

4. Downward-Facing Dog

Finding yoga poses for anxiety doesn’t need to be complicated. Instead, there’s something deeply comforting about returning to a shape that you know well. Just as Downward-Facing Dog offers a home base throughout many yoga flows, the pose serves as something of a reset when my mind is running away from me. If any area of my body is tight, Down Dog helps facilitate release, giving me a space to breathe that’s relaxing without feeling passive.

5. Legs Up the Wall

For some quick and alarmingly effective relaxation, try Legs Up the Wall. This inversion is thought by many to be a bit of a cure-all, easing symptoms of anxiety, quieting headaches, even encouraging more restful sleep. It’s also very easy to adjust as needed: bend your legs, bring the soles of your feet together, add supporting props. Once I come back down to earth, the world generally seems like a more tolerable place.

6. Boat Pose

As noted, a bit of core work can be an amazing way to feel immediately embodied. Boat Pose stretches my tight hamstrings and instantly bringing my core onboard (my abs start to shake within seconds). It also effectively silences my thoughts and brings my focus back to the present moment.

7. Extended Side Angle Pose

Extended Side Angle combines several elements that I appreciate: full-body extension, heart opening, and a chance to look up. Something about the pose always leaves me feeling optimistic and expansive, which makes whining about the hour of the day seem ridiculous. A few deep breaths on each side and I’m ready to take on the world—even as the clock keeps ticking.