The Container Exercise: A Gentle Way to Calm Anxiety, Worry, and Overwhelm
The Container Exercise is valuable to use to ease anxiety and whenever you're feeling overwhelmed by your emotions.
Feeling emotionally flooded? Whether you're stuck in overthinking, spiraling into self-doubt, or carrying too much heaviness, the Container Exercise is a simple tool to help you create more inner space—and a little more calm.
What Is the Container Exercise?
The Container Exercise is a brief, guided visualization commonly used in EMDR and trauma-informed therapy. It helps you set aside distressing thoughts, memories, or feelings without pushing them away or suppressing them. Think of it as gently placing something on a shelf so you can return to it later—when you’re more resourced and supported.
This practice is especially helpful for:
Emotional overwhelm
Persistent worry or looping thoughts
Flashbacks or intrusive memories
Depression-related mental fatigue
How to Do the Container Exercise
You can do this in just a few minutes, wherever you are.
1. Get Comfortable
Sit or lie down in a quiet space. Take a slow breath in… and out. Soften your jaw and shoulders. Let your breath settle.
2. Visualize Your Container
Imagine a strong, secure container—something like a box, a chest, a vault, or even a file cabinet.
Make sure it feels private and unbreakable.
Ask yourself:
What does it look like?
What is it made of?
Where is it located?
How does it open and close?
3. Place Something Inside
Bring to mind something that feels heavy or intrusive—a worry, an unfinished thought, a painful memory. You don’t have to relive it. Just notice it… and gently place it in your container.
Place as many things as you need to inside.
4. Seal the Container
Close the lid. Lock it. Seal it however you like.
Know that the contents are safe and can stay there until you choose to return.
5. Return to the Present
Take another breath.
Notice how your body feels now.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Gently bring your attention back to the room.
Prefer to Be Guided?
You can listen to a short audio version of this practice here:
A Kind Reminder
The Container Exercise doesn’t erase your pain—it gives you permission to set it aside for now. If you struggle with anxiety, trauma, or depression, it’s okay to need help holding it all.
“You don’t have to carry everything at once. Just one thing at a time. And sometimes, not even that.”