Ex-Bachelor star Tiffany Scanlon shares a beautifully simple trick for managing anxiety.

Former The Bachelor contestant Tiffany Scanlon has shared a simple technique she uses for managing anxiety.

“Close your eyes and take five deep breaths,” the 30-year-old posted to Instagram, alongside a photograph of herself holding a helium balloon.

“Now visualise yourself blowing up a balloon. Fill the balloon with all that is worrying you. Fill it until there’s nothing left to add. See all your anxiety inside the balloon as you tie it shut. Hold the balloon away from you, take a deep breath and then let it go. Watch the balloon float away from you into the distance until you can’t see it anymore.”

????It’s hard to be brought down when you have a balloon ???? Yesterday @suitedevents wearing the one and only @natalieroltdesigns ???? . . . Little mental health trick I’d like to share for helping with anxiety and letting things go. Close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths. Now visualize yourself blowing up a balloon. Fill the balloon with all that is worrying you. Fill it until theres nothing left to add. See all your anxiety inside the balloon as you tie it shut. Hold the balloon away from you, take a deep breath and then let it go. Watch the balloon float away from you into the distance until you can’t see it anymore. Repeat as often as needed. Would love people to share with me any other tricks they have that help ???? . . . #balloon #suitedevents #suitedrosè #fashion #fashionshow #style #perthevents #perthisok #letitgo #anxiety #mentalhealth #justbreathe #babysteps #yougotthis #looknohands

A post shared by Tiffany Scanlon (@tiffany_janes) on Mar 18, 2017 at 9:47pm PDT

This comes only weeks after Scanlon’s relationship with fellow Bachelor contestant Megan Marx, 27, ended. The pair met on the Channel 10 set last year and made public their relationship soon after the show aired in September.

The relationship, and its breakup, has been met with huge public scrutiny. Only days ago, Scanlon wrote: “Fame is like Rumpelstiltskin. Like making a deal with the devil, be careful what you wish for because it comes at a cost. For me the cost was high. Was it worth it? Probably not.”

In the same post, republished with Mamamia, she opened up for the first time about her struggle with mental health. “I have never shared this publicly before, and maybe I am making another mistake by choosing to do so now, but I have struggled with depression for the better part of my adult life.”

Mia Freedman on why routine is anxiety’s best friend. Post continues below. 

The response to both Scanlon’s article and her Instagram post has been supportive.

Several fans thanked Scanlon for her balloon trick, and shared their own methods for dealing with anxiety.

“A lot of my anxiety comes right before I fall asleep in bed,” one user commented. “To get me through it, I think about and plan everything I’m going to do as soon as I wake up the next morning. Take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast. The smaller the details, the more it usually helps!”

“I like doing the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique,” another wrote. “Notice five things you can see around you; four things you can touch; three things you can hear; two things you can touch; one thing you can taste. Distracts me long enough to help the anxiety pass!”

“One of the best tricks I learnt through psychology sessions was to tense up each individual muscle, hold and then release it entirely,” one commenter said. “What it does is make you realise you’re already tensed up and relax each individual muscle. Also gives you focus as you work your way around your body. Works wonders for me when I’m having anxiety attacks on plans over my flying phobia.”

If you’re suffering from depression or anxiety and need help, or just someone to chat to, you can call BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636.