What Anxiety Really Feels Like: A Therapist’s Guide to Symptoms, Triggers & Coping

Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek therapy, yet so many people struggle to put into words exactly what it feels like. For some, it’s a constant hum in the background. A tension you can’t shake. For others, it comes in sharp waves that feel overwhelming and unpredictable. Anxiety is not simply “worrying too much.” It is a full-body experience that affects your thoughts, emotions and nervous system. Often leaving you feeling exhausted, on edge, or disconnected from yourself.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through what anxiety commonly feels like, why it happens and how therapy can support real change. My goal is to help you understand your experience without judgement and to show you that anxiety is both treatable and manageable. You don’t have to face it alone.

What Anxiety Really Feels Like: The Internal Experience

People often describe anxiety in emotional, physical, and cognitive terms. Here are some of the most common symptoms that arise.

1. A constant feeling of being “on alert”

Anxiety puts your body into a state of high readiness. You might feel as though you’re bracing for something that hasn’t happened, or waiting for a sense of danger you can’t quite name. This can feel like restlessness, irritability, or a sense that you can’t switch off.

2. Racing thoughts that won’t slow down

Many people with anxiety describe thoughts that loop quickly, jump from one fear to another, or intensify as soon as they try to relax. It may feel like your mind is running ahead of you, preparing for every worst-case scenario imaginable.

3. Difficulty concentrating

When your brain is busy monitoring for threats, it becomes harder to focus on everyday tasks. You might start something and immediately forget what you were doing, or feel mentally foggy even when you’ve slept well.

4. Overthinking and second-guessing

Anxiety often shows up as replaying conversations, worrying about how you came across, or trying to predict how other people might react. This over-analysis can leave you feeling mentally drained.

5. A sense of dread or unease

This might come as a low-level “something feels wrong” sensation, even when life is going well. For others, it feels like a heavy weight in the chest or stomach. A feeling that can be hard to describe but impossible to ignore.

The Physical Side of Anxiety: Your Nervous System at Work

Anxiety is deeply connected to your physiology. Your body responds as though you’re facing a real threat, even when the danger is emotional or imagined.

Common physical symptoms include:

• Tight chest or shortness of breath
• Muscle tension, especially in the neck and shoulders
• Heart palpitations or a racing heart
• Stomach issues (nausea, IBS flare-ups, knots, butterflies)
• Sweating or shaking
• Feeling hot or flushed
• Difficulty sleeping
• Fatigue from constant hyper-alertness

These symptoms are not “in your head.” They are part of your body’s stress response system. A system designed to protect you, but one that can become overactive when anxiety is chronic.

Why Anxiety Happens: Understanding the Triggers

Anxiety can be influenced by a combination of life experiences, personality traits, stress levels, and environmental triggers. Some common causes include:

Past experiences or trauma

Your nervous system may have learned to stay on high alert, even long after the original threat has passed.

High expectations or pressure

Whether external (work, family) or internal (perfectionism), pressure can create chronic stress that fuels anxious thoughts.

Uncertainty and lack of control

Humans naturally seek safety and predictability. Life transitions, relationship changes, or financial worries can all activate anxiety.

Overloaded nervous system

Busy schedules, constant screen stimulation, and emotional strain can push your system into overwhelm.

Genetics and temperament

Some people are wired with more sensitivity or reactivity. This isn’t a flaw, it’s simply part of their biology.

Understanding your triggers can be a powerful step toward managing them. In therapy, we often explore the deeper roots of anxiety so that you can respond with more awareness and compassion for yourself.

How Therapy Helps You Manage Anxiety

Therapy can be transformative for anxiety because it offers both immediate tools and long-term understanding.

1. Understanding your unique anxiety pattern

Your therapist helps you identify your triggers, behaviours, and emotional responses so that anxiety becomes something you can observe. Not something that controls you.

2. Breaking the cycle of overthinking

Therapy teaches practical strategies to slow down racing thoughts, interrupt spirals, and build a calmer internal dialogue.

3. Regulating the nervous system

Many clients learn grounding techniques, breathing methods, and somatic tools that help calm the body from the inside out.

4. Rebuilding self-trust

Anxiety often creates doubt. Therapy helps strengthen your confidence in handling uncertainty and making decisions without fear.

5. Processing unresolved emotions

Unprocessed stress, grief, or past wounds can keep the nervous system activated. Therapy offers a safe space to work through these experiences.

When Anxiety Becomes Too Much

If anxiety is interfering with your sleep, relationships, concentration, or general wellbeing, therapy can offer real relief. You don’t need to wait until things feel overwhelming. Reaching out for support is a brave and empowering step.

Anxiety is incredibly common. But it is also highly treatable. With the right tools, understanding, and support, it’s absolutely possible to feel calmer, more grounded, and more in control of your life.