Anxiety in the Body: A Somatic Approach to Calming Down

When anxiety hits, most of us instinctively go straight to our heads.

We try to think positive thoughts.

We push through the discomfort.

We ignore the physical symptoms.

We do everything we can to mentally “fix” what’s happening.

And while mindset work is certainly important, it's not the full picture, especially when the discomfort lives in the body.

Anxiety is not just a mental state. It’s also deeply physiological. Your body is trying to keep you safe by activating protective responses, most of which happen automatically and beneath your conscious awareness. So rather than only working with the mind, what if you took a more embodied approach?

Instead of resisting or overthinking every symptom, you can learn to respond to the body's signals with curiosity and compassion. The key is recognising these symptoms for what they are: intelligent (though sometimes inconvenient) survival responses. And most importantly: they will pass.

Let’s look at some common anxiety-related body responses and how to support yourself through them.

1. Shallow, Fast Breathing and a Tight Chest

What’s Happening: Your nervous system is in stress mode (sympathetic activation), so your breathing speeds up to deliver oxygen more quickly. But instead of full, nourishing breaths into the belly, the breath stays high in the chest. Muscles in the shoulders and upper back tighten, bracing you for danger and compressing your lungs. This creates that familiar tight chest sensation.

What You Can Do: Slow, conscious breathing is one of the quickest ways to calm your nervous system. When you deepen your breath, especially into your belly, you send a signal to your brain that it’s safe to relax. This shifts you from “fight or flight” mode into “rest and digest.” Let your breath be your anchor. It will pass.

2. Tension in the Shoulders and Jaw

What’s Happening: Your body is "armouring up" in response to perceived threat. This is a form of muscular guarding, an unconscious bracing in areas vital to survival. The jaw may clench to suppress emotion or speech. The shoulders and neck may tighten to protect the throat or prepare for impact. This is your body's way of freezing or shrinking down when it doesn’t feel safe.

What You Can Do:

• Yawn loudly to release tension.

• Exhale slowly while allowing your shoulders to drop.

• Make silly or animalistic sounds, like a growl or a lion’s roar, to move stuck energy.

• Feel the emotion that’s trying to surface and let it move through.And always remind yourself: it will pass.

  
  

3. Racing Heartbeat

What’s Happening: When the amygdala (your brain’s fear centre) detects a threat, it sends a signal that floods your body with adrenaline and cortisol. Your heart races to pump blood and oxygen to your muscles so you can react quickly, even if the “threat” is just an email notification or difficult conversation. Your vagus nerve, which normally helps calm the body, goes temporarily offline.

What You Can Do:

• Lengthen your exhale. This helps re-engage the parasympathetic nervous system (the body’s calming system).

• Try humming or chanting gently to stimulate the vagus nerve.

• Place a hand on your chest or belly and breathe into it with awareness. You are not in danger. It will pass.

  
  

4. Cold Hands and Feet

What’s Happening: Your body diverts blood flow away from extremities toward vital organs and big muscle groups. This helps you stay alert and ready in a survival situation but also leads to that cold, disconnected feeling in the hands and feet. It's another sign your sympathetic nervous system is in control.

What You Can Do:

• Breathe (yes, again).

• Rub your hands together or hold something warm to help restore circulation and signal safety to your brain.

• Gently shake your arms or legs to get blood flowing again. These symptoms aren’t dangerous. They’re just information. And they will pass.

  
  

A Final Note: Don’t Add Anxiety to Anxiety

When physical symptoms of anxiety arise, it’s easy to make things worse by judging ourselves:

“I can’t cope.”“Something’s wrong with me.”“I’m weak.”

But those thoughts add another layer of stress on top of what your body is already managing. Instead, try to meet your symptoms with understanding and a sense of neutrality. You are not broken. You are having a human nervous system response and you have the tools to support yourself through it.