The mind is part of the body. When your mind is racing or you feel overwhelmed with emotions, your body becomes agitated as well.
Your heart starts pounding, your blood pressure gets elevated, and your muscles tense up. Adrenaline is flowing through your veins and your breathing becomes quick and shallow.
As soon as you start paying attention to the breath and make an effort to take slower, deeper breaths, in and out, your body will start to relax. This simple intervention tells your body — without words — that there is no good reason for fight or flight. Everything will be okay. Because the body stops sending panic signals to the brain, the mind starts calming down as well. The spiral gets reversed and you start spiraling back into control.
To calm the mind, begin with the body.