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This 30-Second Face Trick Calms Anxiety Faster Than Meditation

Beat Anxiety with This Quick Trick

Kristie Leong M.D.
5 min readJan 25, 2025
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Who doesn’t get super anxious when they have to give a big presentation? I know I do! Someone I know was about to give the biggest presentation of her career a few weeks ago.

And when faced with the prospect, she broke out into a full-blown “fight or flight” response. Her heart raced and her palms grew sweaty.

But what played with her head is that her mind began spinning, creating worst-case scenarios:

Would I pass out? Would I forget what I was trying to say? These were all thoughts that flew through her mind as she prepared. 😱😨😱

But what to do about that anxiety? But instead of reaching for anti-anxiety medication or plopping into a chair for a meditation session, she did something unexpected: she dunked her face in a bowl of ice-cold water for 30 seconds.

Image by Pixabay.com

When she pulled her face out of the chilly water, she said it was like hitting a reset button on her out-of-control nervous system.

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Kristie Leong M.D.
Kristie Leong M.D.

Written by Kristie Leong M.D.

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