Archive · 11 Oct 2026
Mental Exercises May Help Manage Anxiety and Improve Focus
Prithvi Raj Banerjee says people can practise exercises to help their minds feel calmer and pay attention.
He compares this to how exercise helps the body get stronger.
Some of the exercises use breathing, noticing feelings or taking a mindful pause.
His book organizes 12 exercises into a programme lasting eight weeks.
Banerjee says these practices may help people notice distractions and return to what they are doing.
His nonprofit has held workshops for children and young adults since 2017.
Workshop observations suggested that participants got better at settling and keeping their attention.
But those observations are not proof that the exercises treat mental-health conditions.
Banerjee wants these simple practices to be easier for people to try.
Prithvi Raj Banerjee says simple mental exercises can support anxiety management, concentration and healthier thinking.
He argues that attention can be trained through short, deliberate practices, much like physical fitness.
Banerjee’s book presents 12 exercises in an eight-week programme, including breathing, body-awareness and thought-interruption techniques.
MindGym Initiative workshops have involved thousands of children and young adults since 2017; observations suggested improved attention, but are not clinical evidence.
Banerjee calls for accessible preventive mental-well-being practices as young people face digital distractions and information overload.
- Who
- Prithvi Raj Banerjee, founder of the MindGym Initiative.
- What
- Banerjee advocates simple mental exercises to support attention, emotional self-regulation and anxiety management.
- When
- The appeal was made in connection with World Mental Health Day; the article does not specify a date.
- Where
- The MindGym Initiative was established in the USA.
- Why
- Banerjee says digital distractions, information overload and the pace of modern life can contribute to stress, anxiety and difficulty sustaining attention.
- Initiative
- MindGym Initiative, a volunteer-led nonprofit established in 2017 in the USA.
- Programme
- Banerjee’s book describes 12 mental exercises in an eight-week programme.
- Examples
- Belly Breathing, Bumblebee Hum, Balanced Breath, Body Radar, Word Anchor, Catch and Drop, and Play and Pause.
- Workshop reach
- Banerjee says workshops since 2017 have involved thousands of children and young adults.
- Evidence caveat
- Workshop observations suggested improvements in settling and sustaining attention, but were not clinical evidence of treatment effectiveness.
- Workshop funding
- Proceeds Banerjee receives from his book help support free workshops.