Anxiety Isn’t in Your Head—It’s in Your Body
Why Your Racing Thoughts, Tight Chest, and Constant Bracing Aren’t a Mindset Problem You’re not overreacting. You’re not “too sensitive.” And you’re not bad at coping.
If your mind won’t stop spinning… If your chest is tight and your jaw is clenched… If you feel like you’re always a little too close to snapping, crying, or shutting down—
That’s not a personality flaw. That’s a nervous system on high alert.
Anxiety Is Your Body Trying to Keep You Safe
We usually think of anxiety as thoughts: worry, panic, spirals. But underneath all that mental noise is a body that feels unsafe.
In nervous system terms, this is called the sympathetic state—aka fight or flight. Your body is preparing for action. It’s mobilized. Braced. On guard.
Your heart rate rises. Your breathing quickens. Blood flows to your limbs. You’re ready to run—or fight—even when there’s nothing obvious to run from.
You’re not making it up.
You’re protecting yourself.
How Anxiety Actually Shows Up (That You Might Not Realize)
You overthink conversations and replay what you said
You feel responsible for everyone else’s emotions
You struggle to sit still or truly rest—even when you’re exhausted
You can’t relax unless everything is perfect
You snap, cry, or shut down when overwhelmed
You always feel like something bad is about to happen
This is anxiety in the body. It’s not a disorder—it’s a survival response.
What It Feels Like—for Women and for Men
For many women, anxiety turns into over-functioning. You manage everything. You anticipate needs. You take care of everyone else before yourself. And it’s draining.
You might seem calm, even capable. But inside, you’re racing. Bracing. Managing a storm no one else can see.
For many men, anxiety often hides as frustration, irritation, or emotional shutdown. You might not call it anxiety—but the tension, restlessness, and silent pressure? That’s your nervous system trying to hold the line.
Anger, control, numbing, overthinking—it’s all just anxiety wearing different masks.
Why This Matters
If you’ve been stuck in this go-go-go mode for a long time, your system may not even know how to come down. You might feel like this is just who you are. But it’s not.
This is who you had to become to survive.
And it can change.
What Healing Looks Like
In my practice, I help clients understand anxiety not as a flaw, but as a brilliant adaptation.
Together, we work with the Autonomic Ladder—a simple tool that helps you recognize what state your system is in and what it needs next.
Healing anxiety isn’t about shutting it down.
It’s about learning how to:
Track your nervous system with compassion
Build a felt sense of safety, not just logical reassurance
Let your body know it doesn’t have to fight anymore
Create a life that doesn’t require constant bracing
You’re Not “Too Much.” You’re Just Tired of Carrying It All
If you’re tired of thinking your anxiety means something is wrong with you—
If you’ve been trying to calm down and wondering why it never sticks—
If you're secretly afraid you’re going to burn out or break down—
You’re not alone. And you don’t have to manage it all by yourself. Learn more about how anxiety therapy can help or contact us to get started.