What to do with Anxiety in Your Body - Break the Anxiety Cycle 24/30

It’s common that when you feel anxiety, you have uncomfortable sensations in your body. An upset stomach, tight muscles, cold or sweaty palms, a headache, or fast breathing or heart rate.

Our natural tendency is to try to make these feelings go away. To run from our body’s messages, to distract ourselves, to stay busy, to avoid these feelings in any way we can or to try to force them to change.
And while this can work in the short term, or might feel less uncomfortable in the short term, it actually perpetuates the cycle, training your body to be more keyed up, more avoidant, and essentially afraid of itself in addition to whatever outside thing you were worried about. So, what can you do instead? In this video you’ll learn what to do with anxious sensations in your body.

OK, so your tendency is to escape, to perpetuate the anxiety cycle by avoiding your own body’s messages and sensations. But the more we struggle against our sensations, the worse they usually feel. That’s because we’re essentially telling our brain that these sensations are dangerous, that this feeling is going to harm us. That's not working, so, instead, let’s slow down. And do the opposite.
Let’s lean in.
Sit with it
Get curious
Soften into it.
Review Willingness
PEACE: Present, Explore, Accept, Curious, Expand

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

[circa]

The only way I was able to overcome anxiety was when I felt it coming on.. I just said, "Bring it on - give me your worst" and was surprised that it almost immediately subsided.

[andyg]

I had a spiritual experience through meditation in 2020 that showed my anxiety as a little boy(myself), outside my door in the cold wanting to be let in. He was just scared and wanted to be comforted. It was at that moment that I knew that I needed to love my anxiety, not be afraid of it. This video is an excellent reminder of that. Thank you!

[rosefenton]

I am an elderly sick and disabled lady, but my dear husband was my carer for years. Now he has gone, I am. Heartbroken and so need prayer please.

[marrs]

Thank you. If the internet was was created for anything, this is it. This type of content. Everything else is just rubbish sticking to the good stuff. This is the gem amongst the coal.

[valerielevasseur]

The idea of the body being a friend is still so hard

[imogensharma]

Between this and your processing your emotions video, I have finally made peace with my anxiety and have stopped shutting down. I lost a relationship and a close relative at the beginning of this year. Usually, when things go wrong in my life, I shut down entirely - can't work, can't get out of bed, can't feel better. Turns out, I've been fighting, hiding from, and pushing down my emotions my entire life. I've been through therapy several times, and nothing has helped like your series. I'm working hard, seeing friends, speaking to family and feeling alive. And you didn't charge me a penny. You are truly a godsend and an inspiration. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Please get memberships on your youtube channel!

[brandoncurtis]

My anxious sensations have always been like a tingling or pins and needles and it freaks me out cuz I can go so long without feeling intense anxiety but once it's triggered they come on full force. Learning to sit with them and not question or try to figure them out has helped so much

[MindBodyBronx]

Crazy how being scared of anxiety creates more of it 😮 but this helped thank you!!😊

[ryno_]

I didn’t think this would work but it actually did. It didn’t completely get rid of the anxiety but it lowered it a lot to where the symptoms were a bit less noticeable

[shirleypatrick]

In a pandemic, seeking for understanding of my chronic pain from RA, diagnosed in 2004. My good Lord led me to Emma. You showed me how to love myself
through the pain, just as you explained. I’m sure childhood trauma and more led to RA at 44. Now 63, off meds
since early 2021, grateful in my healing.
Thank you Emma

[KayfabeUndertaker]

That tightness in my chest and throat are the worst part. The body sensations trick my mind.

[madeleine]

Today I had an anxiety attack which always, always goes to my heart; shortness of breath and heavy chest.
Today was also my last trip to urgent care to check my heart.
I have committed to unraveling the snarls bit by bit.
Thank you for this video.

[heyyy]

it's kind of ironic how when you shift the objective from trying to get rid of the feeling or make it go away, and instead focus on simply accepting it and letting it be, and beyond that- exploring it and having love and compassion towards it, it actually makes you a little less anxious. because emotions are there for a reason- they're not meant to be shooed away, but are there for you to listen to them. unfortunately, we are taught the latter. so when we don't listen to our emotions, they only get stronger to make us hear them, listen to them. this kind of mindset shift helps a TON. thank you so much!!

[malk]

I am certain you are helping A LOT of people with this video: we don't get taught this stuff, even though we probably should at a young age or in school.
I found your video really helpful even though I already knew what you had to impart: a lifetime is long and we tend to lose sight of important wisdom and techniques.
The technique can be expanded by inviting the body region to communicate in images if it wants to, and then just staying receptive to anything that comes in. Your emphasis on not judging is important with this as the imagery often does not make any immediate sense: like dreams, the body communicates through a symbolic language rather than a literal one. So whatever the images that arrive, it is important to not judge or discard them just because they may not immediately yield actionable information. Just sit with the feeling and the image, and value the attempt at communication. Doing so will invite more, and with time, you can learn your inner language.

[TheVideoMarketingGuy-isro]

This video couldn't have come at a better time for me. Dealing with anxiety has been tough, but your gentle guidance gives me hope. The idea of treating my body's discomfort like a cherished friend is truly eye-opening. I'm eager to practice the PEACE method and cultivate inner calmness

[genericname]

Neat! I've been doing this subconsciously for a while with heart palpitations. I get that sensation a lot when in a panic attack, even though EKG will show steady, low heart rate, I'll feel like a bird is fluttering in my chest. Pressing a hand to it and really just feeling what my body is telling me tends to help a lot.

[phoebe]

Emma this should be taught in schools, your compassion and knowledge are helping so many people, thank you

[rumham]

I’ve been subscribed to this channel for a good while, but I haven’t really clicked in to videos. I suppose I wasn’t ready. I was in a really bad way. But I’m ready now. And this video is wonderful! Looking forward to exploring the channel more and gaining some knowledge and tools from your lessons 🖤

[genius]

I dont know when i listen to you i feel like someone very mine is telling me to calm and relax. you R like an elder sister to me. I wish one day i could meet you, or someday i get in my life a girl like you, whose presence can only make me calm down. THANK YOU.

[estherlongmore]

Thank you for this. I was scrolling my feed, looking for something to distract me from my usual night time anxiety, when I saw your video. I always appreciate how calming and soothing your voice is, and this video helped bring my anxiety down quickly. ❤