Anxiety isn’t only in your head. Why it shows up in your chest, stomach and muscles, and how to calm the body side of it.
November 6, 20262 min read
By Zainab Adesola, BSW, MA, CCC
Anxiety is a whole-body experience
Many people meet anxiety through their body first. A tight chest, a racing heart or a stomach that won’t settle can send you to the doctor long before you’d call it anxiety. That makes sense: anxiety affects your thoughts, your actions and the way your body feels.
Why your body reacts
When your brain senses a threat, it switches on the fight-or-flight response, the same system that would help you jump out of the way of a car. Stress hormones like adrenaline get you ready to act, and you feel it:
- Heart and chest. A faster, harder heartbeat and a tight or heavy chest, as blood moves to your muscles
- Breathing. Fast or shallow breathing, or feeling like you can’t get a full breath
- Stomach. Butterflies, nausea, cramps or needing the bathroom, because digestion slows when your body thinks it’s in danger
- Muscles. Tension in your jaw, neck, shoulders and back, sometimes with headaches
- Skin and senses. Sweating, feeling hot or cold, tingling hands, dizziness or feeling unreal
- Energy. Restlessness, then exhaustion, because staying on alert is tiring
These changes are useful when there’s real danger. With anxiety, the alarm goes off when there isn’t, or stays on long after the danger has passed.
The worry loop
Body sensations can become a worry of their own. You notice your heart, worry about it, and the worry speeds your heart up even more. Knowing that these are normal stress reactions often takes away some of their power.
Calming the body side
- Breathe low and slow. A gentle breath with a longer out-breath helps switch on your body’s rest system. See breathing that calms you down.
- Release tension on purpose. Tense one group of muscles for a few seconds, then let go, working from your feet up to your face.
- Move. Walking, stretching or exercise uses up stress energy and helps your body reset.
- Ground yourself. Your senses can bring you back to the present. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 trick.
- Look after the basics. Sleep, regular meals, and less caffeine and alcohol all make your body less reactive.
Check with your doctor
New, severe or unexplained symptoms should always be checked by a doctor. Chest pain and trouble breathing can have medical causes. If you’re worried in the moment, call 911.
Once medical causes are ruled out, therapy can help with both the body and the mind sides of anxiety. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) teaches skills for both.
Sources
This article is general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. For advice about your situation, talk to your health care provider, your insurer or a lawyer.
Questions
Quick answers.
Can anxiety cause real physical symptoms?
Yes. The symptoms are real. They come from your body’s stress response rather than from damage or disease.
Why do I feel anxious in my body but not in my mind?
Some people notice the body signs before the worry, or don’t feel worried at all. Anxiety can show up mostly as tension, stomach trouble or poor sleep.
Can long-term stress affect my health?
Ongoing stress can wear on your sleep, digestion and energy, which is one more reason to get support rather than push through.
Keep Reading
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