When you find calm at your core, you give yourself the power to respond instead of reacting—especially in the moments that rattle you.

Anxiety doesn’t always announce itself with a loud siren. Sometimes, it shows up as a knot in your stomach, a heavy feeling low in your belly that won’t quite go away or throwing up on your second grade principal. (Ask me how I know.) That’s often where our emotional tension settles—and it’s also where we can start to release it. Tuning into this space (known in some traditions as the sacral chakra) can help us work through unease and make room for steadiness.

Life throws curveballs. It’s easy to feel like you’re at the mercy of your surroundings and anxiety. But when you’re anchored in yourself—I mean really connected to your internal sense of peace—you become more resilient. You don’t spin out. You make clear choices. You move with purpose and intention so others don’t get pulled into your whirlpool of chaos.

There are all kinds of ways to reset yourself. Try focusing on your breath and imagining a warm glow below your belly button. Or picture bringing in white light to clear away tension. Mine happens to be a glittery bubble with breathwork or floating in the river or a ride. Even sound can help—yes, seriously. Let out a deep, grounded shout or gutteral roar. For that matter good sex with someone who can hold your angst works too. (And those guttural roars can be kind of a turn on.) It might feel silly at first, but it’s surprisingly effective at releasing pent-up anxiety and bringing you back into your body. Literally and figuratively.

Fear makes things feel bigger than they are. But fear loses its grip when you show up to it calmly, with clarity and presence. When you root down, you’ll realize that most of what overwhelms you isn’t as solid as it seems—and you’re more capable than you think.