Cultivating Calm: Foundational Daily Practices for Mental Resilience

By Chalimah Jeanne - university qualified Naturopath, Nutritionist and Medical Herbalist with over 20 years professional and clinical experience

Anxiety disorders affect 359 million people globally, yet evidence-based daily practices can significantly enhance resilience and complement professional treatment (1). Mental wellbeing emerges not from a single intervention, but from consistent habits that regulate the nervous system and stabilise biology.

Regulating Your Nervous System

Diaphragmatic breathing

Slow, deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, the branch responsible for rest and recovery (2). Research demonstrates that diaphragmatic breathing practiced twice daily reduces anxiety significantly; in a controlled trial, participants showed anxiety scores decline from an average of 19.13 to 5.33 within eight weeks, alongside measurable reductions in heart rate and breathing rate (3).

Sensory grounding: the 5-4-3-2-1 technique

When anxiety spirals, anchor yourself in the present moment using your five senses. Noticing five things you see, four you can touch, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste can interrupt the fight-or-flight response by redirecting mental energy from anxious thoughts to your immediate surroundings, providing structure during heightened emotional states (4).

Building Biological Stability

Sleep: the foundation

Seven or more hours of quality sleep is fundamental to mental health. Sleep deprivation disrupts your stress response system, elevating cortisol when it should be low (5). A systematic review shows a clear dose–response relationship: compared with seven hours, both shorter and longer sleep durations are associated with increased depression and anxiety risk (6).

Physical activity

Regular exercise modulates mood and stress hormones through multiple mechanisms. Physical activity triggers endorphin release and, with consistency, lowers baseline cortisol levels, improving your body’s resilience to future stressors. Moderate aerobic activity (around 30 minutes daily) reduces anxiety, while mind–body practices like yoga can enhance sleep quality and emotional regulation. (7)

Nutrition and inflammation

Diet influences mental health through inflammation pathways. Chronic inflammation from highly processed foods is linked to anxiety and depression, whereas healthy dietary patterns rich in whole foods, vegetables and plant-based compounds reduce systemic inflammation and support the gut–brain axis, a critical pathway for emotional regulation. (8)

Complementary Support: Herbal Teas

Some individuals find benefit in herbal tea rituals. Specifically green and herbal teas have been studied in the context of anxiety. (9)

Chamomile has shown modest anxiolytic effects in clinical trials. A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials found chamomile associated with significant improvements in generalised anxiety disorder after 2–4 weeks of treatment (10).

Green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid studied for stress reduction. Systematic review evidence suggests that daily intakes of 200–400 mg may help reduce stress and anxiety in people exposed to stressful conditions (11).

A critical safety note

Natural does not mean risk-free. Herbal products can interact with medications, alter drug metabolism and are sometimes contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Chamomile may, for example, interact with blood thinners such as warfarin, while various herbs may amplify sedative medications and increase adverse effects. It is recommended to discuss any herbal supplements with your healthcare provider before use as they may complement but should not replace professional mental health treatment. (12)

Conclusion

Mental resilience is cultivated through consistent daily practices: nervous system regulation via breath work and grounding, quality sleep, regular movement and nutritional foundations. Complementary approaches such as herbal tea, when used cautiously and under practitioner guidance, may offer additional support. If anxiety is persistent, overwhelming, or interfering with daily life, consulting a healthcare professional is essential. These foundational practices are best seen as self-empowering steps that complement, rather than substitute, evidence-based care.

Sources

1. World Health Organization. Anxiety disorders. Fact sheet. 
   https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/anxiety-disorders 

2. Laborde S, Mosley E, Thayer JF. Heart rate variability and cardiac vagal tone in psychophysiological research – Recommendations for experiment planning, data analysis, and data reporting. Front Psychol. 2017;8:213. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5328965/ 

3. Chen YF, Huang XL, Chien CH, Cheng JF. The effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing relaxation training for reducing anxiety. Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2017;53(4):329–336. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27553981/

4. Healthline Editorial Team. “The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique for Anxiety: A Visual Guide.” Healthline, 19 Sept. 2025 https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/5-4-3-2-1-grounding-technique-for-anxiety 

5. Goldstein AN, Greer SM, Saletin JM, Walker MP. Tired and apprehensive: anxiety amplifies the impact of sleep loss on aversive brain anticipation. J Neurosci. 2013;33(26):10607–10615. https://www.jneurosci.org/content/33/26/10607

6. Li XL, Wei J, Zhang X, Meng Z, Zhu W. Relationship between night-sleep duration and risk for depression among middle-aged and older people: A dose-response meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2023 Mar 2;14:1085091. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1085091. PMID: 36935736; PMCID: PMC10017495.
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10017495/ 

7. Craft LL, Perna FM. The benefits of exercise for the clinically depressed. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2004;6(3):104–111. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC474733/  

8. Chen GQ, Peng CL, Lian Y, Wang BW, Chen PY, Wang GP. Association Between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis. Front Nutr. 2021 May 5;8:662357. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.662357. PMID: 34026809; PMCID: PMC8133218. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34026809/ 

9. Jeanne C. “Best tea for anxiety: Herbal infusions with calming effects”, Organic Merchant
   https://organicmerchant.com.au/best-tea-for-anxiety/

10. Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Malvi H, Kodgule R. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and quasi-randomized trials. Phytother Res. 2023;37(6):2754–2768. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.6349 

11. Williams JL, Everett JM, D’Cunha NM, et al. The effects of green tea amino acid L-theanine consumption on the ability to manage stress and anxiety levels: A systematic review. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2020;75(1):12–23. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31758301/ 

12. Sile, I.; Teterovska, R.; Onzevs, O.; Ardava, E. Safety Concerns Related to the Simultaneous Use of Prescription or Over-the-Counter Medications and Herbal Medicinal Products: Survey Results among Latvian Citizens. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 6551. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20166551