OneYou

A 3–5 Minute Check-In for Anxious Thoughts & Feelings

This brief exercise is designed to help you slow down, notice anxiety with compassion, and reconnect with a steadier part of yourself. You can use it anytime you feel overwhelmed, restless, or stuck in worry.

Step 1: Pause and Arrive (about 1 minute)

Take a slow breath in through your nose.
Let it out gently through your mouth.

Take one more breath like that.

Let your body know you’re here right now.
There’s nothing you need to fix or figure out.

You might say quietly to yourself:
“I’m just checking in. This moment is okay.”

Step 2: Notice Anxiety in Your Body (about 1–2 minutes)

Gently bring your attention to your body and ask:

Where do I feel anxiety right now?

You might notice it in your chest, stomach, throat, shoulders, or jaw.
There is no right or wrong place.

If it helps, place a hand where you feel it most.

Try to notice the sensation with curiosity rather than urgency.
You might say silently:
“I see you. I’m here with you.”

Step 3: Check in with the Anxious Part (about 1–2 minutes)

Now gently ask yourself:

Is there a part of me that’s feeling anxious right now?

If something comes up, you don’t need to analyze it or make it go away.
Just notice that it’s there.

You can ask one simple question:

“What are you worried might happen?”

Pause and listen without judging the answer.

Then offer this part some reassurance:

“Thank you for trying to protect me.”
“I’m here with you.”
“You don’t have to handle this alone.”

If you notice even a small sense of calm, steadiness, or compassion, let that be enough.

Closing

Take one slow breath.

Let the anxious part know you can check in again later.

Before you move on, ask yourself:
“What’s one small, supportive thing I can do next?” – If it is something you need to accomplish add it to a note or reminder so you don’t have to carry the anxiety of forgetting about it later. Here is a quick IOS (Apple) guide for using the reminders app for this.

Then return to your day, bringing this steadiness with you.

This tool works best when it’s used to offload memory, not manage your whole life. Keep it simple.

STEP 1: Create a Reminder

Open the app ‘Reminders’
Tap ‘New Reminder’ (or the ╋ button)
Type one short, specific task (ex; ‘Take meds’, ‘Start laundry’, etc.)
- Avoid naming the task too vaguely (ex; ‘Finish everything for work’)

STEP 2: Choose How You’d Like to Be Reminded

After typing the Reminder name, tap the ⓘ (info) icon.

If a Scheduled / Time-Based Reminder is best for your task:

Tap to toggle both ‘Date’ and ‘Time’ settings on
Adjust each to when you want your reminder
If your task needs to be completed regularly:
- Tap ‘Repeat’ and choose how often you’d like to be reminded (you can also select ‘Custom’ if you need to create a more specific schedule)

If a Location-Based Reminder is most helpful:

Scroll to find ‘Places & People’ (towards bottom of screen)
Tap to toggle ‘Location’ setting on
Choose an existing saved location OR tap ‘Custom’ to manually enter an address

STEP 3: Creating ‘Lists’ (Optional)

By default, your Reminders are organized by categorized ‘Lists’ in your Reminders app. If you’d like, you can organize your tasks by creating custom ‘Lists’.

Navigate to the main / home screen of your Reminders app (you will see the default Lists at the top)
In the top right corner, find the icon resembling a to-do list accompanied by a ╋ icon.
Fill in the ‘List Name’
- We recommend creating Lists like ‘This Week’, ‘Work’, ‘Home”, etc.

Avoid creating too many / unnecessary Lists. Additionally, color-coding your Lists is unnecessary for productivity. If it takes more than 5 seconds to decide where it goes, it’s too complex and can become avoidance.

STEP 4: Still Overwhelmed? Break Tasks Down

If a Reminder feels heavy or you keep skipping it, it’s too big. Breaking your task down into smaller steps makes it less intimidating and easier to complete. For example..

Instead of:
‘Work on project‘

Try:
‘Open project doc’,
‘Write first paragraph’,
‘Set 10min timer’

STEP 5: When the Reminder Goes Off

And you CAN complete the task → Do or start it

If you CAN’T complete the task → Snooze, or reschedule the notification (don’t dismiss or ignore)

Ignoring Reminders trains your brain to stop trusting them, and overtime, will make this tool ineffective.

Anxious Parts Check-in: A Grounding Practice