What Is the 333 Rule for Anxiety?
Many people experience anxiety at some point in their lives, whether it's before a test, a job interview or another stressful situation. Others deal with persistent anxiety that manifests as an anxiety condition. Whether anxiety occurs regularly or before a big event, certain coping techniques can help ground oneself and calm intense feelings.
The 333 rule for anxiety involves taking in information about one's environment using the senses. The helpful coping method can be useful for managing physical and psychological anxiety symptoms in the moment.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
People experience anxiety differently, and it can manifest as psychological, behavioral and physical symptoms. While some people may experience occasional anxiety, such as before a job interview or public speaking, others may deal with severe, persistent symptoms that interfere with their daily functioning.
Physical and psychological anxiety symptoms can include:
- Excessive worry
- Irrational fears
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Muscle tension
- Panic attacks
- Difficulty sleeping
- Increased heart rate
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
Anxiety can lead to behavioral changes, such as avoiding places, people or things that cause anxiety symptoms. It can also lead to procrastination or social withdrawal, impacting career, personal and social obligations.
What Is the 333 Rule?
The 333 anxiety rule involves observing three things you can see, three things you can hear, and three things you can move or touch. It is a grounding technique — a coping skill to manage intense emotions by steering the mind away from anxiety and toward the present moment.
By using the 333 anxiety rule, it may be easier to manage distressing thoughts, feelings or memories and calm anxiety symptoms like shortness of breath or rapid heartbeat. Practice this easy-to-remember technique in moments of heightened anxiety:
Name 3 Things You See
When anxiety strikes, take a second to pause, breathe and look at your surroundings, no matter where you are. Name three things you can see in your vicinity. It could be anything, from a chair to a tree or a family portrait — whatever stands out. Search for specific visual qualities, such as shapes, colors or other unique characteristics. It may help to focus on things you've never noticed before, such as different shades of colors or various patterns.
Name these things in your head or say them aloud, whatever feels most comfortable doing.
Name 3 Sounds You Hear
Listen to your surroundings and name three things you hear. The sounds could be anything, from traffic to a neighbor playing music to people talking or your own breath. Isolating sounds that would normally be tuned out can enhance this experience. For example, if outside, focus closely on the birds chirping or the sound of the wind moving the trees. At home, focus on the sound of your laundry machine or the floor creaking.
Move 3 Parts of Your Body
Choose three parts of your body and move them one by one. You might lift an arm, smile or take a breath and feel your chest rise and fall. Explore the weight or texture of objects around you as well, taking note of the sensations of touching them. The 333 rule is a great technique to manage anxiety as it can be completed even when surrounded by other people.
Is the 333 Rule Effective for Calming Anxiety?
The 333 rule is an informal coping technique that can effectively manage anxiety when it feels particularly overwhelming. Many people use it when dealing with anxiety before stressful events, as it can offer immediate relief by helping control thoughts and emotions. It can also contribute to better mindfulness, help break the cycle of anxious thoughts and enhance resilience.
The 333 rule can be effective when used alongside professional treatment and other coping techniques:
- Mindfulness: Mindfulness is another way to center oneself on the present moment, letting feelings pass.
- Deep breathing: Take deep breaths or try breathwork, which refers to different breathing techniques to reduce anxiety.
- Self-care: Getting enough sleep and eating balanced meals may help with general anxiety symptoms. It may also help to remove yourself from an anxious situation, if possible, and do a favorite activity like drawing or listening to music.
- Progressive muscle relaxation: A great way to ease physical tension from anxiety, progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing each muscle and then exhaling while letting the muscles fully relax.
The 333 anxiety rule, deep breathing and mindfulness are all excellent forms of preventive self-care, so you might try them even when you're not feeling anxious. For instance, try the 333 rule when waking, before leaving the house or at the end of the day to establish a consistent routine.
Also note that some coping techniques, like meditation or grounding, can take longer or worsen a person's condition if they tend to dissociate due to conditions like trauma.
Other Coping Strategies to Deal with Anxiety
Managing anxiety effectively often requires a combination of techniques that address both the mind and body. In addition to professional treatments, there are several practical strategies individuals can adopt to help reduce anxiety symptoms and regain a sense of calm.
1. Mindfulness: Mindfulness involves focusing on the present moment without judgment, which can help individuals break the cycle of anxious thoughts. By practicing mindfulness, such as through meditation or mindful breathing, individuals can learn to observe their thoughts without becoming overwhelmed by them.
2. Deep Breathing: Deep breathing exercises are a simple yet powerful tool to manage anxiety. When we are anxious, our breathing often becomes shallow, which can increase feelings of panic. By practicing deep, slow breaths—focusing on inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth—you can activate the body's relaxation response.
3. Exercise: Physical activity is an excellent way to manage anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins, the brain's natural mood enhancers, and helps to lower cortisol levels, which can reduce stress. Activities like jogging, swimming, yoga, or even a brisk walk can provide both short- and long-term benefits for reducing anxiety.
4. Therapy: Therapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), is one of the most effective long-term strategies for managing anxiety. CBT helps individuals understand and reframe negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety, providing them with tools to cope with stress and prevent future episodes.
5. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique that helps release tension in the body, which can reduce physical symptoms of anxiety. It involves tensing and then slowly relaxing different muscle groups, starting from your toes and moving up to your head.
Why Trust Us?
At Stella, we focus on the biological root cause of anxiety, addressing symptoms with innovative treatments like ketamine infusions and Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR), an advanced Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) protocol. A recent study shows that dual-sided SGB treatments can reduce anxiety by 50%. The intervention may help people with anxiety by resetting the fight-or-flight response and returning the body to a calm state.
Stella Ketamine treatments have also been found to improve depression and anxiety symptoms within two weeks. We take a trauma-informed approach, acknowledging the trauma an individual might have experienced to provide comprehensive treatment that targets their exact needs. Read our testimonials for first-hand accounts of the benefits of treatments.
Discover Stella's Anxiety Treatment Options
The 333 rule is just one way to help cope with anxiety. At Stella, we use science-based alternative methods to manage anxiety. Our multi-modality holistic approach may calm troubling symptoms of anxiety. Additionally, trauma-informed integration sessions will happen within two days of receiving treatments, and serve to help with a variety of mental health conditions.
- Ketamine infusion therapy: Recent studies find that ketamine is an effective way to manage anxiety. Stella pairs ketamine infusions with trauma-informed integration therapy sessions, where you can receive infusions while gaining insights and making meaning of treatments. From here, we create individualized action plans optimized for healing and growth.
- DSR SGB: DSR SGB shows promise in managing anxiety symptoms, treatment-resistant generalized anxiety, and social anxiety conditions. It works by regulating an overactive sympathetic nervous system through an injection of anesthetics in the bundle of nerves called the stellate ganglion.
By leveraging cutting-edge treatments for anxiety, we help clients reduce troubling symptoms and find relief. We acknowledge that every client is different, and there's no one treatment path, which is why we offer comprehensive options and support every step of the way. Discover how our treatments can help by calling a care advocate at 908-293-7559.
This article was clinically reviewed by Charles Martinez
Charles is the Clinic Director of Stella DC. He is a professional Family Nurse Practitioner with over 14 years of experience in healthcare. He obtained his Master of Science in Nursing from Howard University in 2013 and, soon thereafter, certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. He has a background in cardiology and mental health and a strong interest in integrative health. Charles is also certified in mind-body somatic practices and works as a holistic wellness coach outside of Stella.