How to Calm Down Quickly: Using Vision to Reset Stress
Key Takeaways
- Calm is closer than you think. With just a few mindful adjustments — widening your view and slowing your breath — you can feel more centered and in control.
- You have the power to calm down quickly — anytime, anywhere. A simple shift in how you use your eyes can help your brain move from stress to calm in just minutes.
- Small shifts can lead to big relief. You don’t need a long break to reset — just a few deep breaths and a wider view can help you feel better fast.
A Science-Backed Tool to Instantly Reduce Stress
In today’s fast-paced world, stress is nearly impossible to avoid. With so many competing demands and responsibilities, it’s easy for our nervous system to stay on high alert. Want to learn how to calm down quickly? Read on to discover how your eyes hold the key to shifting from stress to calm.
This simple yet powerful technique uses your visual system to regulate your nervous system. Best of all, it’s something you can do anytime, anywhere, to help reduce stress in just a few minutes.
How Your Eyes Influence Stress and Relaxation
Our eyes don’t just allow us to see—they also send signals to the brain to be more relaxed or stay alert. When we’re stressed, our pupils dilate and our visual field narrows down (think tunnel vision), zeroing in on the most crucial detail. Like this:
Conversely, when we’re relaxed our pupils constrict and our visual field broadens and looks more like this:
The Problem? Many of us spend a large portion of our day staring at screens, whether it's a phone, computer, or tablet. That constant narrow focus tells the brain we’re in alert mode, triggering the release of the stress hormone adrenaline. Over time, this signals the nervous system to stay on high alert—making stress and anxiety feel like a never-ending loop.
The good news? You can reverse this effect quickly by consciously shifting your visual field.
How to Calm Down Quickly: A Simple Way to Shift from Stress to Relaxation
Next time you feel tense, overwhelmed, or anxious, try this simple visual exercise to help you calm down quickly:
1. Expand Your Visual Field
Look straight ahead and soften your gaze.
Without moving your eyes, become aware of the space around you—your peripheral vision (see yourself in the environment that you are in, side to side and floor to ceiling).
Allow your vision to widen naturally, as if you’re looking at a large landscape or horizon.
Deliberately widening your gaze creates a calming effect on the mind by releasing a brainstem circuit tied to alertness and stress.
2. Pair It with Deep Breathing
While expanding your vision, inhale deeply through your nose.
Slowly exhale through your mouth and let your shoulders drop.
Repeat this for one to two minutes, and notice how your body begins to relax.
Together, vision and breathing are two of the most effective ways to shift your brain and body to a calmer state.
3. Take It Outside (Try This for an Extra Boost)
If possible, go outdoors and look at the horizon. Viewing open spaces like the sky, ocean, or mountains naturally shifts our vision into a panoramic state, reinforcing a sense of calm.
Therapist’s Insight: Use This in Moments of High Stress
As a therapist, I often encourage clients to use this vision-expanding technique in real-time stressful situations, such as when anxiety spikes before a meeting, or when daily stress starts to build.
Instead of trying to “push through” stress, pause for a few moments and:
Soften your gaze and expand your view.
Take a slow, deep breath.
Notice how your body responds naturally to the shift.
This small, science-backed shift allows your brain to self-regulate, keeping stress manageable instead of overwhelming.
Final Thoughts: A Small Change with a Big Impact
We can’t eliminate stress entirely, but we can control how we respond to it. This simple vision tool helps you reset your nervous system anytime, anywhere.
If you’d like to explore this further, here is a video of Dr. Andrew Huberman explaining the physiology and technique in more detail:
If you would like professional support with anxiety and/or stress symptoms or to learn more, please click below:
Therapist Bio
Cari Browning, RN, LCSW, is a licensed therapist and founder of Resilience Focused Therapy in Walnut Creek, CA. Dually trained as both a nurse and psychotherapist, she brings a whole-person, mind-body perspective to her work—supporting both mental and physical health. Cari specializes in helping adults, couples, and teens navigate anxiety, stress, trauma, and relationship challenges with evidence-based approaches, including EMDR, DBT, and the Gottman Method. She is passionate about blending science-backed strategies with compassionate care to help clients feel more confident, resilient, and connected.
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Reference:
Wapner, Jessica. "Vision and breathing may be the secrets to surviving 2020." Scientific American 16 (2020).