Anxiety Isn’t “Overreacting”: Understanding the Nervous System’s Alarm System
Most people think of anxiety as worry, panic, or an overactive mind. But anxiety starts deeper than thought because it often begins in the body. It’s your nervous system’s built-in alarm system, designed to keep you safe.
The problem? That alarm doesn’t always know the difference between real danger and remembered danger.
If you grew up in chaos, were criticized often, or learned to stay alert to avoid conflict, your body may have become an expert at spotting threat even when there is none. You’re not “overreacting.” Your body just learned early on that being ready might keep you safe.
Anxiety as a Body Memory
When your body senses something familiar like a tone of voice, a look, or a situation that once led to pain, it reacts automatically. Heart racing, chest tight, thoughts spinning. The body says: We’ve been here before. Stay alert.
That reaction is physiology. The brain releases stress hormones, your muscles tense, and your attention narrows. You’re in protection mode.
Understanding this changes everything. Instead of seeing anxiety as the enemy, you can start to see it as a misunderstood protector that needs soothing, not scolding.
Why “Just Calm Down” Doesn’t Work
When someone tells you to calm down (or when you tell yourself), it often backfires. That’s because anxiety isn’t controlled by logic; it’s rooted in the survival part of your brain.
The message “stop feeling anxious” sounds to your nervous system like, You’re not safe. It can actually turn the alarm up louder. What works better is gentle grounding: slowing your breath, noticing your surroundings, or even saying to yourself, “I’m safe right now.”
Safety isn’t a thought; it’s a feeling your body has to relearn.
Tools That Actually Help
Soothing the Body Before the Mind
Try grounding through your senses: feel your feet on the floor, notice something solid nearby, name five things you can see. Once the body softens, the mind can follow.Track What Triggers You
Patterns reveal clues about what your body still sees as unsafe. Awareness helps you respond differently instead of automatically reacting.Rebuild Trust in Yourself
Anxiety often makes you doubt your own resilience. Remind yourself: I can feel this and still be okay. Each time you do, you teach your nervous system a new ending to an old story.Get Support for the Bigger Roots
Sometimes anxiety stems from trauma, attachment wounds, or perfectionism. Therapy can help you untangle where your alarm system learned to expect danger.
Your Anxiety Isn’t the Enemy
You don’t have to fight your anxiety to heal because it’s been fighting for you all along. The goal isn’t to silence it but to understand it, to help it learn that the world you’re living in now might be safer than the one it remembers.
When you can meet your anxiety with compassion, it starts to trust you back.
At Found, we understand that anxiety isn’t just “in your head”, it’s in your whole body. Our therapists help clients calm their nervous systems, understand their triggers, and build tools for safety and self-trust.
If you’re ready to move from survival to safety, Found can help you get there one breath at a time.
Offices located in Provo, UT | Online help available across Utah
