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Experiencing strong and uncomfortable physical sensations is a common part of anxiety.

When anxious, you may feel like you don’t have control over your body and lose a sense of physical capability.

Taking action while anxious shows how capable you are. You are doing what is meaningful, even when it’s hard.

Experiencing strong and uncomfortable physical sensations is a common part of anxiety. Your heart may pound or race, you may feel tightness in your chest, dizziness, a dry mouth, or stomach upset. When these symptoms occur, it feels like you don’t have control over your body, and you may lose a sense of physical capability.

Over the past couple of months, I have experienced physical symptoms of anxiety when walking outside, something I have never felt before, and the symptoms have diminished my sense of capability. This has been a challenging experience, and as I work to build back my capability, I want to share effective strategies for coping with physical anxiety.

Acknowledge That You Are Safe

Often, when you experience physical anxiety, it is because your anxiety alarm is misfiring, telling you there is a threat or danger when you are actually safe. Feeling a sense of threat is frequently based on the idea that something bad could happen, not on an actual danger in the moment. For........

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