Hand Pressure Points
Your hands are always accessible — anxiety relief you can do anywhere, anytime.
Why Hands Are Perfect for Anxiety
The hand contains the Endocrine and Heart acupoints in hand reflexology, and two of the most important anxiety points in TCM: PC7 (Neiguan, "Inner Gate") on the wrist, and HT8 (Shaofu, "Lesser Mansion") on the palm. These points are always accessible — you can press them during a meeting, on public transport, or in any stressful moment.
Hand reflexology also maps the entire body onto the hand — including the solar plexus (the body's stress center), the pituitary gland (regulates cortisol), and the heart reflex. Stimulating hand points activates nerve endings that send calming signals through the nervous system.
Key Hand Points for Anxiety
PC7 — Neiguan (Inner Gate)
Location: Inner wrist, center of the wrist crease, between the two tendons.
Press: Use thumb of opposite hand to apply firm pressure in a circular motion. 30-60 seconds per wrist.
Effect: Calms the heart and shen, relieves anxiety, palpitations, nausea.
HT8 — Shaofu (Lesser Mansion)
Location: On the palm, in the hollow formed when you make a fist — between the ring and little finger tendons.
Press: Press with thumb, hold for 30 seconds. Both hands.
Effect: Directly calms the heart shen, excellent for acute emotional distress.
Solar Plexus Point
Location: Center of the palm, just below the middle finger knuckle.
Press: Press firmly with thumb, hold 20-30 seconds, breathe deeply.
Effect: In reflexology, this area corresponds to the solar plexus — the body's stress response center.
Hegu (LI4) — Tiger's Mouth
Location: Back of the hand, between thumb and index finger, at the highest point of the muscle when thumb and index finger are together.
Press: Squeeze firmly with thumb of opposite hand. 30 seconds per hand.
Effect: Relieves tension headaches, anxiety, stress. Also relieves pain throughout the body.
Emergency Hand Hold
During acute anxiety, make a fist with one hand and press firmly with the other thumb into PC7 (wrist). Simultaneously press Hegu with the thumb of the same hand. This "夹持" (sandwich hold) doubles the calming effect by stimulating both the pericardium and large intestine meridians simultaneously.