Anxiety Isn’t Just in Your Head—It’s in Your Body (and That Changes Everything)
Is anxiety all in your head? Discover why anxiety is a body issue and how somatic therapy can help you heal and feel safe again.
In this blog Show
Let me guess, girlfriend: you’ve tried all the things to calm your anxiety. Breathing exercises, CBT, journaling your every thought like you're auditioning for a memoir deal. You may be venting in therapy and listening to all the podcasts with sage advice.
Somehow, the panic still hits, your stomach still clenches, your chest tightens, and your brain short-circuits like it’s running on dial-up.
Woah, the body is really talking here!
Here’s the truth that might just shift your perspective on this whole anxiety thing: anxiety isn’t just in your head. It’s in your body, too. And your nervous system? It's doing exactly what it was designed to do: keep you alive.
And until we start listening to what our bodies are saying, we’re just handing out pre-written scripts to an ad-libbing brain.
So, let's get real about why anxiety feels like a full-body betrayal and, more importantly, what you can actually do to calm the noise inside.
Hint: it starts with tuning into your body, not battling your thoughts.
Anxiety and the Amygdala: Your Inner Alarm System on Overdrive
Here’s where science gets its time to shine. Inside your brain lives your amygdala, a little almond-shaped structure that’s basically your personal panic button.
According to Catherine Pittman and Janina Fisher (2 women I have seen live and they’re incredible!), the amygdala is responsible for detecting danger and sounding the internal alarm. Fast heartbeat? Sweaty palms? Shortness of breath? That’s your amygdala calling the shots. It’s not asking, “Is this reasonable?”
It’s screaming, “INCOMING THREAT!”
The problem? Your amygdala isn’t great at nuance. It doesn’t know the difference between actual danger and your boss’s “Can we talk?” Slack message.
This leaves your prefrontal cortex (the rational part of your brain) completely benched, unable to step in with calming logic like, “Hey, it’s just a deadline, not doomsday.”
Especially if you’ve experienced trauma, it reads everyday stressors as life-or-death threats. That’s why the armpits sweat when the inbox is loading. That’s why the rumination starts and the legs bounce at a fast pace.
Sassy friends, is this sounding familiar? Welcome to the anxiety cycle, where even the smallest stressor can have you sweating like you’re hiding a secret.
Why Your Body Holds On to Anxiety
Here’s where things go deeper. Anxiety isn’t just about your brain’s overreaction. It’s also about how trauma and stress get stored in your body. That constant shoulder tension you can’t shake? The gut-level unease that feels like a permanent knot? Those aren’t just quirky quirks of being stressed; they’re your body trying to protect you.
According to trauma experts like Janina Fisher, your body is like an elephant with perfect memory. Even if your mind has moved on from a stressful event, your body hasn’t forgotten the feeling of danger. It holds on to tight muscles, shallow breaths, and the urge to flee as a way of keeping you “safe.”
But safe from what? Often, the body gets its signals wrong and reacts to neutral situations (like sitting in traffic or answering a text) as if they’re as dangerous as running from a wild animal. Thanks, nervous system, but you got the memo all wrong.
I talk about Janina all the time. Look into her books and free resources for additional info and clarity about how your brain works.
What Is Somatic Therapy and Why Does It Work?
If the brain’s panic button can’t be quieted with logical thoughts (ugh, don’t we wish), how do you actually start to calm anxiety?
Enter somatic therapy. If traditional talk therapy is like getting to know your thoughts, somatic therapy is about getting to know your body’s language. It helps you tune into sensations, movement, posture, breath, and nervous system cues.
It’s like speaking the body’s native tongue instead of yelling at it in a language it doesn’t understand.
Here's why this matters:
You can’t talk the amygdala out of a panic attack.
You can show it you're safe—through the body.
Somatic therapy might involve:
Tracking where you feel anxiety in your body (like tightness in your chest or a pit in your stomach)
Grounding techniques like planting your feet firmly on the ground or noticing 5 things in the room
Movement-based practices that gently release tension (like unclenching your jaw or rolling your shoulders)
Breathwork that signals safety to your brain
Posture adjustments that help your nervous system relax
Touch (with consent and intention, if it’s safe for the client)
These aren’t just woo-woo self-care rituals—they’re scientifically informed ways of retraining your nervous system to feel safety again. It’s like giving your body a new script: “You don’t have to fight or flee. You can rest now.”
Need help practicing? Let me know.
Related: 10 Ways to Manage Anxiety When Panic Sets In
Trauma, Depression, and the Shutdown Response
Let’s go deeper: trauma doesn’t always make you panicked. Sometimes, it makes you go numb. That frozen, checked-out, no-motivation, Netflix-for-8-hours kind of vibe? That’s a dorsal vagal state (shoutout to the polyvagal theory folks), also known as your body’s version of playing dead.
It’s still a survival response. And it’s often misdiagnosed as laziness or even depression when it’s actually your nervous system saying, “This is too much—I’m tapping out.”
Janina Fisher teaches that trauma can lead to a chronic state of shame, fear, sadness, and shutdown, which the body interprets as dangerous. So anxiety and depression aren’t separate—they’re often two sides of the same dysregulated coin.
Feeling stuck? Read our posts on managing procrastination and anxiety for actionable tips to break free of the freeze.
“I Should Be Over This By Now”
If that thought popped into your head, take a pause.
According to Taming Your Amygdala, and echoed in the work of Janina Fisher, your brain doesn’t care how long ago the trauma happened. It’s responding to current cues that remind it of past danger. And every time you ignore the body’s signals, or shame yourself for “still being anxious,” you reinforce the cycle.
Here’s the good news: your brain is plastic (aka, changeable), and your body is responsive. With repeated, gentle safety cues, your nervous system can start to believe: Hey, maybe we’re okay now.
That’s the work of somatic healing. It’s slow. It’s subtle. It’s powerful as hell.
How to Start Listening to Your Body
Breaking the anxiety cycle and retraining your nervous system isn’t something you need to do perfectly (news flash: no one does). Small steps add up in big ways, though. Here are a few ideas to help you start:
Notice the Physical Sensations
Take a moment to scan your body. Where are you holding tension? What physical sensations are bubbling up?Ground Yourself
Press your feet into the floor or place a hand on your chest. These small actions remind your body that you’re safe in the present moment.Breathe Intentionally
Try box breathing: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold again for 4 seconds. It’s like hitting “reset” on your nervous system.Move with Intention
Move your body in a way that feels natural. Stretch, dance, walk, or simply shake it out. Movement helps release stored tension.Get Curious About Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy might be your next right step. You don’t need to have the perfect words. You just need to bring your body and your breath—and a willingness to feel something different.
If you’re ready to explore how therapy can help you work through these body-based patterns, my online anxiety therapy could be your next step.
Reality Check
If you’ve spent years trying to “think” your way out of anxiety, here’s your permission slip to stop fighting that battle.
You are not just a brain in a jar.
You are a full-body experience.
And anxiety is a full-body response.
To truly heal anxiety, we need to stop talking over the body and start listening to it instead.
Because healing? It doesn’t always start with a thought. Sometimes, it starts with a sigh. And if you’re feeling brave and ready to get in touch with your body, call me. You’re never alone in this.
You may also like
