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The Best Tools For Acupressure And Anxiety Pressure Points

Acupressure is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that takes parts of the body as microcosms of the whole macrocosm, seeing it all as interconnected, and by stimulating specific pressure points, along meridian lines of energy, we can help to release stagnant Qi, rebalance yin and yang, and bring the corresponding body part or issue back into harmony. There are pressure points all over the body and then certain parts in which they are more concentrated, such as with the feet and hands (reflexology) and the ears (auriculotherapy).

Research has shown that acupressure can help with:

Chronic and acute pain
Stress and anxiety
Insomnia
Depression and mood disorders
Headaches
Cardiovascular issues
Energy and fatigue issues
Weight loss assistance
Nausea
Overall health and wellbeing

I really love using acupressure points personally to relieve stress and anxiety, induce sleep and relaxation, and help with energy and vitality. There are also other points for headache, nausea (which I use for travel sickness), and PMS that I use when the need arises. Read on to learn about where some of the main acupressure points are and what the best tools to stimulate them are!

Two Wander - The Best Tools For Acupressure And Anxiety Pressure Points

How To Stimulate Acupressure Points

Acupressure as a defined practice dates back to approximately 282 a.d. Traditionally it was done by experienced acupressure practitioners, or TCM doctors, and you can still choose this route or go to an acupressure massage therapist (reflexology massages are the best!) but you can also stimulate these points yourself regularly for a daily dose of calm or as and when you need it, if you’re experiencing a migraine say. If you’re pregnant, make sure you check which points are safe beforehand as some can induce labour!

9 of the most popular pressure points

More than 400 acupressure points have been described, but there are a few best ones that you’ll keep seeing time and again for their overall effectiveness and reach, here are 9 of the most popular:

EX-HN3 Yin Tang (“Hall of Impressions”) - Located in the centre of your eyebrows, at your third eye point. This is one of the best pressure points for headache relief, stress, anxiety, and cardiovascular issues.
HT7 Heart 7 Shen Men (“Spirit Gate”) - Found at the inner wrist crease on the little finger side, this point is said to help relieve anxiety, insomnia (one of the best for it), heart palpitations, and depression.
PC6 Pericardium 6 Nei Guan (“Inner Gate”) - This is one that I am well acquainted with because it’s the best one indicated for motion sickness, but it also works well for other types of nausea and stomach problems. It’s located on your inner arm, three finger widths down from your wrist crease. If you massage it using your thumb and forefinger, you can simultaneously reach the corresponding spot on your outer forearm, the “Outer Gate”, which is said to give you a boost of energy and strengthen the immune system!
LI4 Large Intestine 4 He Gu (“Hand Valley”) - This is a point you may have already heard about, it’s located in the webbing between your thumb and forefinger and is said to help reduce stress, migraines, toothaches, shoulder tension, and neck pain. It’s not to be used while pregnant however.
SP6 Spleen 6 San Yin Jiao (“Three Yin Intersection”) - Located on your inner ankle, four finger widths up from your ankle bone. This point is one of the best for anxiety, insomnia and period cramps (this is another one that can induce labour).
K1 Kidney 1 Yong Quan (“Bubbling Spring”) - Found under your foot in the centre just where the padding meets your arch. This is another great place to apply pressure for insomnia and to help ground you.
GB20 Gallbladder 20 Feng Chi (“Wind Pool”) - These are two points found at the base of the skull where it meets the centre of your neck. Stimulating these pressure points are said to be good for reducing respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, as well as insomnia, headaches, and stress.
LV3 Liver 3 Tai Chong (“Bigger Rushing”) - This is found in the webbing between your big and second toe where the tendons meet. It’s another popular acupressure point for anxiety, tension relief, stress, and period pain.
ST36 Stomach 36 Zu San Li (“Leg Three Mile”) - This point was often used by Chinese practitioners as a bit of a cure-all, although specifically for nausea, gastrointestinal issues, fertility, and strengthening the immune system, it was also touted as an overall wellbeing booster- it’s called as such because patients who couldn’t walk were said to be able to trek for three miles afterwards! It’s found on the outer shin four fingers below the knee.

9 of the best acupressure tools

First and foremost, you can simply stimulate your acupressure points with your fingers. This is the easiest, and cheapest, way and one that I do every morning on myself during my yoga practice. To go a little bit deeper, and help you multitask as well as slip into a more mindful ritual (which I also love), these are some of my favourite ways and products that I use regularly:

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1. MOXIBUSTION - I really love using moxibustion but it’s not for everywhere because it can be quite smoky. Moxibustion is like a big incense stick made of the healing herb mugwort, and is said to act as the equivalent of 10 acupuncture needles! Once you have lit the moxi stick, you simply hover it over the chosen acupressure point for anywhere from a few minutes for up to half an hour, depending on the severity of the situation and how much time you have.

You can also get them in mini sticks with little applicators that you attach directly to the pressure point and leave there until it’s burned out on its own. I personally use moxa once a month just before and during my period to help ease cramps (you can read more about my PMS journey here). If you don’t like the smoke aspect but still want to work with mugwort, they have heating patches that I also use and are effective for pain relief!

2. EAR SEEDS - These are another practice that I really love doing and use them again around my period for pain relief, insomnia and anxiety reduction. They work on auricular therapy- using the ear as a map of the body. You can get them with the traditional vaccaria seeds and tiny pre-attached plasters (like I do) or in the more Insta-worthy Swarovski, silver or gold versions. Usually they stay in place for up to 5 days. The thing I particularly like about ear seeds is the added little bit of mindfulness they give me throughout the day because I always stop several times to take a few big, deep, conscious breaths as I massage them. I love these little guys so much I wrote a whole post dedicated to them!

3. REFLEXOLOGY SLIPPERS - OK I’m going to stop saying how much I love everything because all the items on this list are something that I love and use daily/monthly haha. Reflexology slippers are just what they sound like - “slippers” that are designed with little stones (the ones I use) or rubber protrusions, to stimulate the pressure points in your feet. Simply wear them for about 30 minutes a day (I use them while cooking) to help with energy and back ache particularly.

4. ACUPRESSURE RINGS - These are really simple coiled “rings” that you roll up and down your fingers 20-40 times each. They’re super quick and easy to use and also nice to give me a little moment of mindfulness throughout the day. They’re also great because they’re affordable and super portable as well!

5. ACUPRESSURE CLIPS - These are similar to the rings for hand reflexology but they specifically stimulate the He Gu pressure point on the fleshy part between your thumb and index finger. I have the plastic version and really like them but there is also a fancier stainless steel version that I would also like to get one day because it looks really cool and you can use it on your feet too! As with other acupressure points, this works holistically, and so while it is particularly indicated for headaches, it also works for tension in general (I’ve seen they have clips for snoring as well if this is an issue for you)!

Two Wander - How To Stimulate Acupressure Points

6. ACUPRESSURE (SHAKTI) MAT - This was one of the first items I got that started me on my acupressure journey. It’s a similar concept to the traditional bed of nails where you lie down for up to 40 minutes on a mat with lots of little points positioned to stimulate the nerve endings along your neck, back, and legs, depending on the size of the mat you get. This is another one that’s particularly indicated for back and neck ache but, again, because it covers a lot of areas, it’s also really great for general relaxation- I lie on it while meditating in the morning and always feel like I’ve woken up from the world’s best nap afterwards (you can read more about my morning routine here)!

7. GUA SHA - This tool has increased in popularity in recent years due to its beautifying properties- the lymph drainage action can help to reduce puffiness, and in turn sculpt your cheekbones and jawline, but while using it you are also stimulating the pressure points on your face, double win! There is also a specific branch of facial reflexology that originates from Vietnam called Dien Chan. I love gua sha for the mindfulness aspect it gives me in creating a nighttime ritual, which not only relaxes me but also primes my brain to know it’s bedtime, setting me up for a deeper sleep (you can read more about my night routine here.)

8. TRAVEL SICKNESS BANDS - While these are created specifically for motion sickness (which is what I use them for), the pressure point they stimulate is also a generalised one for anxiety and stomachache and so can be used for that too. They also work to help combat any kind of nausea, including pregnancy morning sickness and digestion issues (as with any complementary healing modality- always make sure to get medical advice from your doctor first)!

9. MAGNET PATCHES - While these are not specifically pressure point stimulators, as they can be applied anywhere for pain relief, you can use them over pressure points and then use the magnet to “massage” the point, they’re said to be particularly useful for prolonging the effects of other acupressure practices. This is the newest addition to my acupressure tool box and while I don’t feel as much as I do with the other products, I still enjoy them nonetheless- as everybody is different try them out and let me know, maybe they end up being your favourite! Usually, I add this in with my other practices for PMS.

BONUS: ACUPUNCTURE - While this is working on the same concept of acupressure, and acupuncture points are generally the same, it is its own practice in and of itself. Of course, to do acupuncture you need to go to a professional to have it done as it’s not something you can do at home, but if you have the means to I highly recommend it. I experienced acupuncture for the first time while we were living in China and absolutely LOVED it!

It’s a strange sensation and not as initially relaxing as I first anticipated (I don’t know why I thought it would be like getting a massage?) but the feeling afterwards is so warm and fuzzy- similar in fact to how you feel after a massage! It helped completely cure my period cramps and they haven’t come back since, almost 10 months on! It also cured Sam’s painful hand from where a broken bone had healed badly. Acupuncture has been extensively studied to help relieve a myriad of symptoms from infertility, to cancer treatment side effects, to fibromyalgia and more!

So those are some of the main pressure points for anxiety, and more, and my favourite tools to use them with. I hope this is useful for you and I’d love to hear how you get on if you try them out in the comments section below! Or, if you have any questions or any thing else to add, let me know and I’ll get back to you :)

If you’re interested in other healing modalities that work with pressure points, check out our post on How To Do EFT Tapping! You can also read our article on 7 Ways To Manage Stress Holistically for more tips.