Psychologists say an effective tool to fight off anxiety can be found in the candy aisle

Modern life can easily riddle a person with anxiety. Getting bills paid, making a good first impression, meeting a work deadline, and so many other things can make a person feel extra anxious. Fortunately, there are many techniques to help manage anxiety, plus one that many psychologists recommend, which seems a little out there. Their recommendation doesn’t come from a pharmacy but can be easily found at any grocery or convenience store. You just have to be willing to pucker up a little.

“Sour candy is an easy way to use distraction to pull yourself out of an anxiety spiral and interrupt your thoughts,” licensed psychotherapist Ciara Bogdanovic of Sagebrush Psychotherapy tells GOOD. “Additionally, it creates a moment of mindfulness and presence as it anchors you back to the here and now through the strong and hard-to-ignore flavor and sensations that come up when eating sour candy.”

Bogdanovic isn’t the only expert saying sour candy could help treat anxiety. Doctors, therapists, and the like are recommending sour candy because it has proven to be an effective “grounding technique.” In short, a grounding technique helps a person refocus their thoughts on the here and now. Such techniques help reorient a person when they’re experiencing high stress, overwhelming emotions, and anxiety through helpful distraction.

The sharp, powerful taste of a sour candy can instinctively pull your brain’s focus away from worrying about past events or an uncertain future to the present experience of “Wow, this is very tart.” Since the potent flavor redirects your senses, it makes it easier for a person to examine the scent of the candy, its mouth feel, and all the other sensations you’re experiencing in the moment. It may not resolve the roots of the anxiety, but it does force your brain to have a break from it.

Sour candy is just one option. There are several other grounding techniques to help manage anxiety, and their effectiveness depends on your preference and personality. For some people, mental exercises such as imagining a “happy place” or mentally organizing things around you into categories such as colors, shapes, etc. can help. Or, it could be simple such as cuddling a pet, listening to music, or doing something creative like drawing, coloring, or painting.

For some, it’s easier to do something physical to allow the body to lead the mind away from anxiety. This can take the form of stretching or exercising. If there isn’t time for that, there is the “5-4-3-2-1” technique in which you count five things you see, four things you can touch, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you taste.

If not that, there’s always cold water.

“Another technique that follows the same pattern is dunking your face in ice water, which uses intense physical sensations to calm your body down, interrupt your worrying, and bring you into your body,” says Bogdanovic.

It’s important to note that sour candy and all other grounding techniques are tools to use to help manage anxiety, but they're not a cure-all. On top of that, not everyone’s anxiety is the same. If you find yourself overwhelmed with anxiety and/or depression, it is worth talking with a professional to find out the best ways to address it and develop strategies to combat it. The news may be sour, but easier to swallow.