When anxiety takes over…

Some days, it creeps in slowly. A tightening in the chest, a racing thought here and there. Other times, it crashes in like a wave, sudden and all consuming. You can’t think straight, everything feels like too much, the smallest decision becomes impossible. And you just want it to stop.

This is what it feels like when anxiety takes over.

Believe it or not, being anxious is actually just your brain trying to protect you. Sat deep in your primitive brain is a small part called the amygdala. Its job is to constantly scan for danger. Whenever it senses a threat, real or imagined, it sends out a warning signal that the body responds to with a flood of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Your heartbeat races, muscles tense, your breathing gets quicker. This is your fight or flight response kicking in, getting ready to help you to survive.

Unfortunately, the brain doesn’t always get it right. In today’s world, the perceived ‘threats’ we face aren’t often life or death situations. They’re triggers like unread emails, a busy schedule, awkward conversations, busy social situations, or a messy house. Yet still, the brain reacts with panic as if we’re truly under attack. And when this alarm system is triggered too often, the amygdala becomes overactive, sending the anxiety response into overdrive.

That’s when the worry and anxiety takes over everyday life. Maybe you feel constantly on edge, like something bad is waiting around the corner, sleep becomes scattered, concentration disappears, you overthink everything, then blame yourself for not being able to ‘just relax’. The rational, intellectual part of your brain struggles to stay in control when anxiety is high. That’s why calming down can be so hard once the spiral begins.

But here’s the truth; you’re not broken. Your brain is just doing what it was always designed to do. It’s trying to protect you, just maybe not in the right way.

There are many powerful tools to help. Solution focused hypnotherapy works by calming the nervous system and shifting you out of survival mode. Gently encouraging the brain to create new healthy patterns, without needing to relive past traumas. Overtime, hypnotherapy can reduce the reactivity of the amygdala and build your ability to cope and respond calmly to stress.

Other tricks that can help you in the moment include deep breathing, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system - the opposite to the fight/flight response. Movement will almost always reduce immediate anxiety as emotion is energy and channelling that elsewhere pushes your mind to calmer places. And of course, healthy sleeping patterns will allow your brain the important rest it needs.

And always know, peace is always possible. If you’re stuck in a storm of anxiety, you’re not alone. And it won’t always feel this way. Anxiety is not permanent. With the right support - therapy, daily habits or simply being kind to yourself - you can begin to find calm and clarity again.