Anxiety Therapy
What Does Anxiety Look Like?
Anxiety can show up as racing thoughts, overthinking, or feeling constantly on edge. Therapy helps you understand your anxiety, build emotional regulation tools, and return to a place of calm and clarity. You don’t have to keep surviving alone.
Anxiety is often the most sought-after type of therapy; when that anxiety takes over, it can have a dramatic impact on your life. Anxiety manifests differently for everyone, but some common signs include:
- Worrying Constantly:Â Your mind races, jumping one “what if” to another.
- Restless Body:Â You might feel on edge or have trouble sitting still.
- Physical Symptoms:Â You might feel on edge or have trouble sitting still.
- Avoidance:Â You might steer clear of situations or tasks that make you uncomfortable.
Try a small exercise
I suggest Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) to many of my clients, not just those with anxiety; it’s an effective way to reduce stress, improve focus, and unwind—perfect for busy days or sleepless nights. The goal isn’t to stop thoughts from coming but to let them pass as you focus on your breath and body.
Take 5 minutes to try the exercise in the video below, then reflect. How did it feel?
Most Common Types of Anxiety
Why You May Benefit from Therapy
You might benefit from therapy if:
- Anxiety feels constant or overwhelming
- You avoid people, places, or activities because of fear or worry.
- You experience physical symptoms like a racing heart, trouble sleeping, or restlessness.
- Anxiety is affecting your relationships, work, or overall happiness.
If any of this sounds familiar, therapy can provide the tools and support you need to feel more confident and at peace.
Common Questions about Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety is a natural, and needed, response to stress, and it's not something we aim to "eliminate" completely.
Instead, therapy focuses on helping you manage it in a healthy way. For many people, therapy reduces anxiety to a level where it no longer feels overwhelming or unmanageable.
Anxiety can have many causes, including:
- Biological Factors: Imbalances in brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.
- Life Events: Stressful or traumatic experiences can trigger anxiety.
- Genetics: A family history of anxiety can increase your likelihood of experiencing it.
- Thought Patterns: Overthinking, self-criticism, or fear of failure can contribute to anxiety.
Therapy helps you explore these factors and create personalized strategies for managing your anxiety.
The 5-5-5 rule is a grounding technique used to manage anxiety by focusing on your senses and breathing. It involves acknowledging 5 things you can see, 5 things you can hear, and 5 things you can feel, while also deep breathing by inhaling for 5 seconds, holding for 5 seconds, and exhaling for 5 seconds.
Lack of adequate sleep significantly exacerbates anxiety symptoms and can create a vicious cycle, making it harder to sleep and cope with anxiety.
