Anxiety Isn’t Just in Your Head: Understanding the Nervous System

Have you ever had the experience of knowing logically that you're okay…

…but your body seems to have a completely different opinion?

Your heart starts racing.

Your chest feels tight.

Your stomach flips.

Your shoulders tense.

Your breathing changes.

Your mind starts racing.

And suddenly you're thinking:

“What's happening to me?”

You might even tell yourself:

“There's nothing to worry about.”

“I'm safe.”

“Why can't I just calm down?”

But here's something important to understand:

Anxiety isn't just about your thoughts. It's also a physical response.

And understanding what's happening in your nervous system can help make those sensations feel a lot less frightening.

Your nervous system is designed to protect you

Your nervous system is constantly taking in information from the world around you and from inside your own body. It then decides whether you are safe or whether you need to respond to a potential threat.

When your brain perceives danger, your body can move into a state of heightened alertness.

This is your body's protection system doing what it was designed to do.

Your heart may beat faster to prepare you for action.

Your breathing may change.

Your muscles can become tense.

Your digestion can be affected.

Your attention becomes focused on detecting potential problems.

All of these responses can be useful when you're facing an actual threat.

The problem is that anxiety can activate this protective response when there isn't an immediate physical danger.

You may be sitting safely at home…

…and your body can still feel as though something is wrong.

And this is where anxiety can become a vicious cycle

Imagine you suddenly notice your heart beating faster.

You think:

“Why is my heart racing?”

That thought creates more worry.

The worry creates more physical sensations.

You notice those sensations.

Your brain interprets them as another reason to be concerned.

And around you go.

Sensation → thought → worry → more sensation → more thought.

This can feel incredibly real.

And when you don't understand what's happening, the sensations themselves can become frightening.

That's why learning about your nervous system can be so empowering.

Instead of:

“Something is wrong with me.”

You can begin to think:

“My body is having a protective response. I can learn how to work with it.”

But calming the body isn't the whole picture

This is something I feel is really important.

Anxiety isn't only about the nervous system.

It's also about the thoughts, beliefs, expectations and patterns that can keep anxiety going.

You might have a nervous-system response…

…and then your mind starts analysing it.

“What if something happens?”

“What if I can't cope?”

“What if this feeling gets worse?”

“What if everyone notices?”

So we have both sides interacting:

The body influences the mind.
The mind influences the body.

That's why, in my work with clients, I don't believe in simply focusing on one or the other.

Working with both the body and the mind is key in helping clients with anxiety issues.

When I work with someone experiencing anxiety, we can look at what is happening on both levels.

We can explore ways of helping the body move towards a greater sense of safety and calm.

And we can also explore the thought patterns, beliefs and deeper responses that may be contributing to the anxiety.

Because telling yourself “don't worry” doesn't necessarily teach your body how to feel safe.

And simply calming your body doesn't necessarily change the thought patterns that keep pulling you back into worry.

Both matter.

The aim isn't to make sure you never experience anxiety again.

Anxiety is a normal human response.

The aim is to help you understand your responses, feel less frightened by them and develop more flexibility in how you respond when anxiety shows up.

You are not broken

If you've been experiencing anxiety, you may have wondered:

“Why can't I control my thoughts?”

“Why does my body keep doing this?”

“Why do I feel anxious when everything is actually okay?”

There may be a very good reason.

Your nervous system is trying to protect you.

Your mind is trying to predict and prevent danger.

Neither is trying to sabotage you.

They are trying to keep you safe.

Sometimes, though, that protection system can become over-sensitive.

And learning how to work with it — rather than fighting against it — can be an important part of creating change.

You don't have to be afraid of every anxious thought or every sensation in your body.

Understanding what is happening is often the first step towards feeling more in control.

And that's one of the things I love helping my clients with.

Helping them understand their anxiety, work with both mind and body, and discover that feeling anxious doesn't have to control their life.

For more support, explore how I work with anxiety in both mind and body.