What Happens To Our Bodies When We're Anxious And What We Can Do

When we're feeling anxious, our nervous system alerts us to what it interprets as a potential threat. Electrical impulses travel through our nerves to our brains carrying this message of threat. This results in a physiological reaction, like a sensation of butterflies in our stomachs or our heart seeming like its beating faster. Usually we now analyse what we're worried about because the physiological response happens before the cognitive one does. We can appraise how imminent the perceived threat is and what action, if any, is required.

Sometimes however, due to past experience of a similar 'threat', eg. past trauma, simply appraising the threat and letting it go is not possible. The body has got used to interpreting each anxiety-inducing situation we experience as a threat and can place us in a heightened state of anxiety. Adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormone) are being released and the heart is pumping blood to the muscles to prepare the body for what it thinks might come.

Symptoms include in addition to above: feeling sick, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, light-headedness and an inability to think straight. These are all common effects due to the body preparing us for 'fight or flight' to protect ourselves.

Often we do not need our bodies to have become so dysregulated as the threat is not as dangerous as the 'sympathetic nervous system' is communicating. In order for the brain to become effective to appraise the threat and generate effective solutions we need to activate the 'parasympathetic nervous system' by applying 'regulation' methods.

'Box breathing' is one effective strategy that can help to regulate stress hormones and activate the parasympathetic nervous system which will take our body back to its 'rest' state. The controlling of the breath both in and out, allows the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide to be back in balance. Adrenaline and cortisol can leave the system.

Other effective strategies include 'safe space imagery' where one uses all 5 senses to imagine a place either imagined or real where you may have experienced a sense of calm. By using imagination and exploring this safe space using the senses, we can experience similar emotions like we would if we were really in this place. This imagery allows our parasympathetic nervous system to get us back into that rest state- to safety. Once this state of calm or regulation is reached we can them appraise cognitively- is this something I need to do something about, or can let go.

If you feel it would be helpful to discuss your anxiety and find ways of managing symptoms

you can book a free 15-minute chat to see counselling feels right for you. No pressure. No judgement. Just a conversation.

Because you deserve to feel like yourself again.

Sabah Moran

Wishaw, Motherwell & Online across the UK

changecounselling@hotmail.com | 07786-726840