What is Anxiety? Why does it occupy so much of our news and narrative? Does it affect more people than others? Is it a mental illness? Can I recover from it? Or just manage it?
These are just a few questions that I get asked when exploring the topic of anxiety with new or existing clients.
Anxiety is “an emotion characterized by apprehension and somatic symptoms of tension in which an individual anticipates impending danger, catastrophe, or misfortune. The body often mobilizes itself to meet the perceived threat: Muscles become tense, breathing is faster, and the heart beats more rapidly”.
Put more simply, Anxiety can be thought of as an emotion of worry and tension that is usually anchored in the future. It is associated with physical changes that occur as we often feel under threat. Some will feel a tightness in their chest, others faster heart rate, “brain fog”, churning stomach or simply “heat”.
Anxiety has become more widely recognised through a reduction in stigma associated with mental health in developed countries, thus entering the conscious narrative. We have learned more about the connection of mind to body and its impacts. We have spent more time understanding these impacts, reducing harm that can be caused by the “anxious state”.
From a clinical sense, Anxiety can be a mental health condition. Everyone experiences the anxiety “feeling” or emotion differently and with different intensities. Can we recover from it? That would mean we would need to remove the anxiety feeling or emotion. In some senses, the anxiety feeling can serve us well. For example, it can support problem solving and risk awareness. The focus today is on awareness, acceptance and management.
Anxiety can show up in a busy morning, in a conversation that feels slightly off, or before sleep. While it’s a natural human response designed to keep us alert and safe, it can sometimes feel overwhelming or persistent. In the latter sense, support, awareness and education can really help.
Here are few navigation techniques often suggested by the Sunshine coast counselling to share:
Calming Anxiety in the Moment
1. Start by Noticing and Accepting not Fighting
One of the most instinctive reactions to anxiety is to push it away. But resistance often increases intensity. Instead, try noticing it. Where do you feel it in your body? Is it a tight chest, a racing mind, or a knot in your stomach?
Gently naming what’s happening: “I’m feeling anxious right now”, can create a small but meaningful distance between you and the feeling. It turns anxiety from something that controls you into something you can observe.
American Psychological Association apa.org/topics/anxiety
2. Ground Yourself in the Present
Anxiety tends to pull your thoughts into the future, what might happen, what could go wrong. We can so easily engage in mind reading and story telling. Our mind and imagination “hijack” or conscious state, creating distortions that can mislead us.
Grounding techniques can help bring you back to the present moment, where you are usually safer than your thoughts suggest.
A simple grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can feel
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
Taking a few moments to consciously connect with each of your senses can calm your nervous system more than you might expect.
3. Rethink Your Relationship with Thoughts
Not every thought deserves your full attention. Anxiety often comes with “what if” thinking: what if I fail, what if something goes wrong, what if I can’t handle it?
Instead of trying to eliminate these thoughts, try responding to them differently. Ask yourself: Is this thought helpful right now? Or consider your mind as a separate entity that you can talk to. “Hmmm, I see you are sending me a thought that often comes up but is not based on any fact or evidence”
You don’t have to believe every thought you think!
Creating Stability in Everyday Life
4. Build Gentle Routines
When life feels unpredictable, small routines can offer a sense of stability. This doesn’t mean structuring every minute of your day, but rather creating a few reliable anchors—morning coffee, a short walk, a regular bedtime.
These routines act like quiet signals to your mind and body: there is some consistency here, even if everything else feels uncertain.
5. Move Your Body, Even a Little
You don’t need an intense workout to ease anxiety. Even light movement like stretching, walking, or simply standing up and shaking out tension can help release built-up stress.
Movement shifts your body out of a heightened state and reminds your system that it doesn’t need to stay on high alert.
The more we connect with our senses and our nervous system, the more likely we are to build an awareness of the mind/ body linkages.
6. Limit Overload
Modern life is full of inputs. News, notifications, social media and constant communication etc. For an already anxious mind, this can be too much.
Pay attention to what you consume. Taking breaks from screens or setting boundaries around information can create space for your mind to settle. Consider adding “time out” measures for yourself. Many of my clients have set themselves goals that seek to reduce engagement with mobile phones or other devices.
It’s not about disconnecting entirely, but about choosing what truly deserves your energy.
Changing How you Relate to Anxiety
7. Practice Self-Compassion
Anxiety often comes with a harsh inner voice: Why can’t I just handle this? What’s wrong with me?
Try softening that voice. Speak to yourself the way you would to someone you care about. Anxiety is not a personal failure, it’s a human experience.
Being kind to yourself doesn’t make anxiety disappear, but it makes it much easier to carry.
8. Accept That Some Days Will Be Harder
Progress with anxiety isn’t linear. Some days will feel calm and manageable; others might feel heavy and uncertain.
That doesn’t mean you’re going backwards. It simply means you’re human. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s learning to respond with patience and care, even on difficult days.
And:
9. Take It One Moment at a Time
When anxiety feels overwhelming, thinking too far ahead can make it worse. Narrow your focus. What’s the next small step you can take? What do you need right now?
Sometimes, navigating anxiety isn’t about solving everything, it’s also about getting through the next moment with a little more steadiness.
Knowing when to Seek
10. Reach Out When You Need To
You don’t have to navigate anxiety alone. Talking to a friend, a family member, or a professional can help you feel supported and understood.
Sometimes simply saying things out loud can reduce their intensity. Connection has a grounding effect that isolation rarely provides.
11. You may benefit from extra support if:
- Anxiety feels constant or overwhelming
- It begins to affect your sleep, work, or relationships
- You find yourself avoiding situations or withdrawing
- Your thoughts feel difficult to manage or repetitive
Conclusion
Anxiety is a feeling or emotion. It does not need to always be considered an illness. We can live alongside Anxiety, indeed it can often make us better, happier and stronger.
There are many strategies and tools that support the above. The trap so many of us fall into, is resigning ourselves to Anxiety to such an extent that it becomes harmful. Loss of sleep, illness, social isolation and unhappy relationships are just a few examples.
Don’t resign to Anxiety. Learn how to live alongside it, grow happier and healthier. In case it severely impacts you, approach Sunshine coast counselling for expert guidance.
Book an appointment with us today to discover acceptance and management.
