Why Anxiety Feels Physical

Adriana Baraldi || 3 July 2025

Have you ever noticed that when you’re anxious, your body joins in on the panic party? Your heart races, your stomach flips, your muscles tense, and maybe you even get dizzy or nauseous. It’s not just in your head — anxiety feels physical because it is physical.

Let’s break down why anxiety shows up in your body and what you can do to ease those symptoms when they hit.

1. Your Brain Thinks You're In Danger

Anxiety is part of your body’s natural fight-or-flight response. When your brain perceives a threat — even if it’s just a stressful email or a difficult conversation — it tells your body to prepare for survival.

Your sympathetic nervous system kicks in, releasing stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These cause physical changes, including:

Increased heart rate (to pump blood faster)
Shallow, rapid breathing (to get more oxygen)
Muscle tension (to prepare for action)
Upset stomach or nausea (because digestion slows down to conserve energy)

2. Your Body Doesn’t Know the Difference Between Real and Imagined Threats

The tricky part? Your body reacts the same whether the danger is real (like a car swerving into your lane) or imagined (like fear of public speaking). This means even thoughts can trigger a cascade of physical sensations.

3. Your Mind and Body Are Interconnected

Emotions don’t just live in your mind — they’re embodied experiences. That knot in your stomach, the tightness in your chest, the fatigue after a stressful day — it’s all evidence of how deeply connected your brain and body are.

What You Can Do About It

The good news? There are practical ways to calm your physical symptoms — and in doing so, help your mind feel calmer too.

1. Regulate Your Breath

Slow, deep breathing tells your nervous system that you’re safe. Try this:

Box Breathing:

Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Exhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Repeat for a few minutes.

This helps switch your body out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-digest.

2. Move Your Body

Physical movement burns off excess adrenaline and helps release muscle tension. You don’t need a full workout — a short walk, stretching, or even shaking out your arms and legs can help reset your nervous system.

3. Ground Yourself in the Present

Anxiety pulls you into the future; grounding brings you back to now. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique:

5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste

This sensory inventory can interrupt spiraling thoughts and reconnect you to your body.

4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Tense and then release each muscle group in your body, one at a time. This reduces physical tension and increases awareness of how anxiety manifests in your body.

5. Stay Curious, Not Judgmental

It’s easy to get frustrated with your body’s anxiety responses. Instead of resisting the sensations, try saying: “Okay, my body thinks I’m in danger. What’s it trying to protect me from?” This compassionate approach can reduce the fear around the sensations themselves.

Final Thoughts

You’re not “crazy” or “too sensitive” if anxiety shows up in your body. In fact, it means your brain is doing exactly what it was wired to do — keep you safe. Understanding that anxiety has a physical footprint is empowering. Once you recognize the signs, you can work with your body, not against it.

So the next time anxiety hits, remember: you have tools. You can breathe. Move. Ground. And gently remind yourself — you are safe, and this will pass.