Many people tell me their anxiety seems to come out of nowhere. They’re not thinking about anything stressful, and suddenly their heart is pounding or their stomach drops. That’s not a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s how the nervous system is built.
Your alarm system is fast
The parts of the brain that scan for danger work faster than the parts that think things through. When something resembles an old threat, like a tone of voice, a crowded room or an unread message, your body can react before you’ve had a single conscious thought.
Then the mind explains it
Once the body is on alert, the mind looks for a reason. That’s often when the worried thoughts arrive. They feel like the cause, but sometimes they’re the result.
What helps
Because the reaction starts in the body, it often helps to start there too. Breathing out for longer than you breathe in signals that you’re safe enough to slow down. Try breathing in for four counts and out for six, for a minute or two. Pressing your feet into the floor and naming five things you can see can help as well.
These aren’t cures, and they won’t stop every anxious moment. But they can turn the volume down enough for you to think clearly again. In therapy, we work on both sides: calming the alarm and understanding what keeps setting it off.
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If you’re in crisis, please don’t wait for an appointment. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 if you’re in immediate danger. Outside the US, contact your local emergency number.