Qi Gong for Mental Health Within Social Prescribing: Calm the Nervous System, Not Just the Mind
When people are referred into social prescribing for “mental health”, it’s rarely just about thoughts. Their nervous systems are on high alert. Sleep is broken. Breathing is tight. Bodies feel wired or drained.
Qi Gong offers a different way in. Instead of starting with the mind, it works through the body and breath to calm the system first – which then supports mood, thinking and behaviour.
In this article, you’ll see how Qi Gong supports anxiety, stress and low mood, what the research says, and how you can safely refer clients into Bright Beings Academy’s online and local classes as part of an NHS-style social prescribing offer.
If you’d like the “big picture” first, you can also read
Qi Gong and Social Prescribing in the UK: A Complete Guide for Link Workers
and
Social Prescribing Explained: How Gentle Movement and Qi Gong Support NHS Personalised Care.
Why mental health needs nervous-system tools, not just thoughts
Many people referred through social prescribing for mental health support describe:
Racing thoughts and constant worry
Tight shoulders, jaw and chest
Breath that never quite feels deep enough
Exhaustion mixed with restlessness
Feeling “trapped in my head”
You may already offer talking therapies, peer support and psychological approaches. These are vital. But if someone’s body is still locked in fight, flight or freeze, it can be hard for their mind to absorb new ideas.
Qi Gong works from the ground up:
Slow, repetitive movement tells the body “you are safe enough to slow down”.
Breath-led pacing shifts people away from shallow, anxious breathing.
Gentle focus on sensations pulls attention out of spiralling thoughts and back into the present.
Mind–body reviews suggest that Tai Chi and Qi Gong can reduce depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress, and improve quality of life and sleep in adults and older adults. (MDPI)
This is why Qi Gong can be such a helpful companion to counselling and medication in mental-health-focused social prescribing.
For a broader evidence overview, see
The Science Behind Qi Gong for Social Prescribing: Pain, Breath and Mood.
What the research says about Qi Gong and mental health
1. Depression and anxiety
Several meta-analyses have explored Qi Gong’s effects on depression and anxiety:
A systematic review of RCTs found that Qi Gong was potentially beneficial for depressive symptoms, although early studies were small and methods varied. (PubMed)
Later reviews of Tai Chi and Qi Gong together, pooling over 30 trials, reported small-to-moderate improvements in depression and anxiety, especially when people practised regularly over weeks to months. (ScienceDirect)
A 2019 meta-analysis focusing on Qigong-based therapy for major depressive disorder found that Qigong-based interventions significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared with usual care. (MDPI)
More recent work has started to look at specific groups:
In cancer patients and survivors, Tai Chi/Qigong showed small-to-moderate beneficial effects on depression and anxiety. (ScienceDirect)
Traditional Chinese exercises (including Qi Gong) significantly improved anxiety and depression in older adults in a 2025 review. (Lippincott Journals)
The message for social prescribing is cautious but clear: Qi Gong is not a cure-all, but it consistently nudges depression and anxiety in the right direction, especially when people stick with it.
2. Stress, burnout and emotional overload
Stress-specific reviews add another layer:
A 2024 systematic review of Qigong therapy for stress management found that Qi Gong significantly reduced stress compared with wait-list or stretching controls, and also helped with anxiety and quality of life, while calling for larger, more standardised trials. (PMC)
A 2024 study tracking Qi Gong fitness in young underprivileged people reported reductions in stress, anxiety and depression after a period of practice. (PMC)
Why might this happen? One 2020 RCT comparing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy with health Qigong-based cognitive therapy in people with mood disorders found both reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms, but the Qigong-based group showed slightly greater improvements in mood and physical health status. Changes in perceived stress predicted changes in mood in both groups. (BioMed Central)
In other words, when people feel less stressed in their bodies, their mood symptoms often follow.
3. Sleep, fatigue and “brain fog”
Sleep, fatigue and cognitive fog are huge drivers of mental distress. Mind–body reviews have found that Tai Chi and Qi Gong:
Improve sleep quality and insomnia in adults and older adults. (PMC)
Reduce fatigue and improve anxiety, depression and sleep quality in people with chronic fatigue syndrome and post-COVID syndrome, in combination with yoga. (MDPI)
A 2025 paper on a three-month online Qi Gong course also concluded that Qi Gong may boost physical and mental health, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve sleep quality – with the caveat that larger, multi-centre trials are still needed. (integrmed.org)
This matters for social prescribing because better sleep and less fatigue are often the first things people notice, and those early wins build motivation.
What this means for social prescribing clients
Putting the evidence and practice together, Qi Gong is especially useful when you’re supporting people who:
Feel burnt out, anxious or overwhelmed, and struggle to “think” their way calm
Have long-term conditions plus low mood, where pain, fatigue and stress feed into each other
Experience post-viral fatigue, long COVID or chronic fatigue, with mood changes attached
Are dealing with workplace stress, caring load or life overload, and need a kinder way to move
Rather than asking them to jump into high-intensity exercise or purely cognitive approaches, Qi Gong says:
“Let’s start where your body is today. Small movements. Soft breathing. No pressure to perform.”
You can see how this fits alongside other conditions in:
Real-life outcomes: Brighter Living Qi Gong Impact Report
Alongside international research, you have local data you can show colleagues and commissioners.
The Brighter Living Qi Gong Impact Report summarises charity-funded Ki Gong and armchair yoga sessions delivered to older adults in New Malden, Chessington and Kingston:
Weekly sessions reached around 100 older adults across three sites.
A small evaluation (28 questionnaires) found most participants reporting improved overall quality of life.
44% noticed better flexibility and ease of movement.
Many also described less pain, brighter mood and feeling less alone.
You can read the full story and data here:
Although the report focuses on older adults and mobility, the emotional comments – “happier”, “more relaxed”, “look forward to seeing people” – echo the mental health findings from the research.
How Bright Beings Academy supports mental health referrals in practice
UK-wide: live online Qi Gong
For anyone in the UK who prefers or needs to practise from home, you can refer into:
These sessions are:
Gentle and beginner-friendly
Suitable for standing or seated practice
Designed to support stress, anxiety, low mood, pain and fatigue together
For a social-prescribing-specific view of the online option, you can share:
And for a general overview:
Local: New Malden and Chessington
For people in Kingston, New Malden and nearby areas, there are in-person options that support both mental and physical health:
New Malden Qi Gong Mondays – gentle daytime class at the Graham Spicer Institute, ideal for over-50s and those needing a softer, sometimes chair-based start.
Qi Gong Live Classes at the Hook Centre, Chessington – early evening community class focused on healthy ageing, balance, stress relief and connection.
You can see how these fit into the wider social prescribing offer in:
Social Prescribing in New Malden: Qi Gong for Over-50s and Gentle Chair-Based Exercise
Social Prescribing in Chessington and Hook: Community Qi Gong for Healthy Ageing
For a more story-based angle on loneliness and belonging, you can also share:
How to frame Qi Gong for mental health with clients
Here’s a simple, honest script you can adapt:
“There’s a gentle movement and breathing practice called Qi Gong. You can do it standing or sitting, and it’s designed for people who feel stressed, low, anxious or overwhelmed.
Research suggests it can help with mood, sleep and stress when people do it regularly. It’s not a replacement for your usual care, but it can give your body and nervous system another way to calm down.
Would you be open to trying a few sessions – either online from home or in a small local group?”
Then:
Offer online classes for those who are housebound, very anxious, or juggling caring/work:
Live Online Qi Gong ClassesOffer New Malden or Chessington for those who would benefit from routine, community and leaving the house:
New Malden Qi Gong Mondays
Qi Gong Live Classes at the Hook Centre, Chessington
For referral steps and safety notes, you can also use:
FAQs: Mental health, Qi Gong and social prescribing
1. Is Qi Gong suitable for people with diagnosed depression or anxiety?
In many cases, yes – as an addition, not a replacement, to usual care. Trials and reviews suggest Qigong-based interventions can reduce depressive symptoms and anxiety when added to standard treatment. (MDPI)
People should continue their medication, therapy or other treatments and speak to their clinician if they’re unsure.
2. What about people with serious mental illness or a history of trauma?
Qi Gong is a gentle, body-based practice, which can be helpful – but also intense for some trauma histories. For people with serious mental illness or complex trauma:
Make sure they are linked into mental health teams and crisis plans.
Present Qi Gong as optional, slow and choice-based.
Encourage them to pause or seek support if strong feelings arise.
Qi Gong should not be used in place of crisis support or specialist trauma therapy.
3. How quickly might people feel a difference in mood or stress?
Some people notice feeling calmer or sleeping better after a few sessions. Research on fibromyalgia and depression suggests clearer improvements when people practise regularly over 6–12 weeks. (PMC)
A realistic message is:
“Give it 6–8 weeks of weekly practice, and see how your mood, sleep and stress feel then.”
4. Is Qi Gong just another form of exercise?
Qi Gong includes exercise, but its main focus is on breath, awareness and nervous-system regulation. Movements are slow, repetitive and often meditative.
This makes it especially useful for people who find standard exercise classes too intense, noisy or competitive – common in social prescribing mental health referrals.
5. Where can I find all your social prescribing and Qi Gong resources in one place?
You can use the cluster hub and FAQ as your main reference points:
Qi Gong and Social Prescribing in the UK: A Complete Guide for Link Workers
FAQ: Social Prescribing and Qi Gong with Bright Beings Academy
Next steps
If you’re ready to offer a nervous-system-first option alongside your current mental health pathways, you can start referring into:
Live Online Qi Gong Classes – for people anywhere in the UK who need to practise from home.
New Malden Qi Gong Mondays – a gentle in-person option for over-50s and softer movers in KT3.
Qi Gong Live Classes at the Hook Centre, Chessington – a community class for healthy ageing and stress relief in KT9.
And when you need local, story-rich evidence for colleagues or bids, keep the
Brighter Living Qi Gong Impact Report 2019–2020 (PDF)
close – it’s a simple, powerful picture of how calmer bodies and kinder movement can change lives.
I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)
