Understanding Anxiety: A natural response in a modern world By Phiona Hutton. Trauma-Informed Therapist supporting children and adults.
Anxiety is something most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. It’s a feeling of unease, worry, or fear – sometimes mild, sometimes intense. While often painted in a negative light, anxiety is actually a natural and necessary function of the human body and brain. It exists to keep us safe.
Anxiety: Our primal alarm system
Imagine opening your front door and finding a tiger outside. In that split second, anxiety kicks in – your heart races, your muscles tense, your breath quickens. This is your body’s fight-or-flight response, an ancient and vital mechanism designed to protect you from danger.
Now imagine opening that same door the next day. There’s no tiger this time, but your brain remembers. You feel anxious, hyperaware, anticipating a threat. This is also normal. Your brain is doing its job – keeping you alert and alive.
But in our modern world, our brains sometimes get confused. There are no tigers – just emails, social pressures, deadlines, noise, trauma triggers – and yet our nervous system reacts as if our life is at stake. The result? We live in a state of heightened anxiety, with our internal alarm system constantly ringing.
The Window of Tolerance
The Window of Tolerance, a concept introduced by Dr. Dan Siegel, refers to the optimal zone of arousal where we can function and process emotions effectively. When we’re within our window, we feel calm, present, and in control.
However, anxiety can push us outside this window, into a state of: Hyperarousal, where we feel overwhelmed, restless, panicky, or hypervigilant. Hypoarousal (sometimes linked with anxiety as well) – where we feel numb, frozen, disconnected, or shut down.
Trauma, past experiences, and even a neurodiverse brain (such as ADHD or autism) can cause the nervous system to perceive threats where none exist, leading to a constant state of high alert. This makes it harder to return to a state of calm without support.
The Amygdala: Your brain’s smoke alarm
At the heart of anxiety lies a small almond-shaped part of the brain called the Amygdala, This is your body’s internal smoke alarm – constantly scanning for danger, ready to trigger your fight, flight, or freeze response the moment it detects a threat. When working well, it helps keep you safe. But like a smoke alarm that starts beeping even when there’s no fire, the amygdala can become hypersensitive – especially after trauma or chronic stress. It starts sounding the alarm over non-threatening situations, and your body reacts as if you’re in real danger. Over time, your senses begin to anticipate the alarm, creating a cycle of constant hypervigilance – even when logically, you know there’s no tiger at the door. Calming and retraining the amygdala is key in reducing anxiety and restoring a sense of safety in the body.
Understanding Fight, Flight, Freeze, Flop, and Fawn
When the nervous system perceives a threat—real or imagined—it activates one of several survival responses: fight, flight, freeze, flop, or fawn. These responses are automatic and deeply rooted in our biology, designed to help us stay safe. In fight, we become angry or confrontational; in flight, we feel the urge to run or escape; in
freeze, we shut down or dissociate; in flop, the body may become limp, disconnected, or unable to act; and in fawn, we try to appease others to avoid conflict or danger. For those with anxiety or past trauma—especially within the neurodivergent community—these responses can be triggered frequently, even in situations that aren't truly dangerous. The body learns to stay on high alert, and over time, this can lead to chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and difficulty feeling safe. Understanding these patterns is the first step toward healing—when we can name what’s happening, we can begin to gently soothe the nervous system and re-establish a sense of calm and control.
Anxiety doesn't just live in the mind; it often shows up loudly in the body.
Common Physical Symptoms of Anxiety:
Racing heart / palpitations. Feeling like your heart is pounding or skipping beats.
Shortness of breath. A feeling of tightness in the chest or difficulty getting a full breath.
Tight or tense muscles. Often in the shoulders, neck, jaw, or stomach.
Stomach issues. Nausea, butterflies, digestive upset, or IBS-like symptoms.
Sweating. Especially on the palms, face, or underarms—even when it’s not hot.
Shaking or trembling. Hands, legs, or entire body may feel shaky.
Light-headedness or dizziness. Feeling faint or unsteady, especially in panic states.
Headaches or migraines. Tension in the head or pressure around the temples and forehead.
Dry mouth. Anxiety can reduce saliva production, making the mouth feel dry or sticky.
Fatigue or exhaustion. Even if you haven’t done much physically—anxiety is draining.
Hot flashes or chills. Sudden temperature shifts that feel like your body is reacting to danger.
Sleep disturbances. Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking with a racing mind.
Restlessness / fidgeting. Feeling like you can’t sit still or needing to constantly move.
Chest pain or discomfort. Often confused with heart problems, especially during panic attacks.
High pitch whistle in the ears, often confused with tinnitus.
Why It Happens
These symptoms are the body’s
natural response to perceived danger – even when that danger is emotional, social, or imagined. The brain (especially the amygdala) sends signals to release adrenaline and cortisol, priming the body to fight, flee, or freeze. While this was helpful for avoiding predators, in modern life, this response can feel overwhelming and out of place.
Types of Anxiety and how they feel
Anxiety isn’t one-size-fits-all. Here are the most common types:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Persistent worry about everyday situations. Feels like: A constant hum of fear, racing thoughts, tension, inability to relax. Can look like:Overthinking, procrastination, physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches. To calm it: Create structure, practice grounding, set boundaries with worry time, and use breathwork.
Social Anxiety
Fear of social situations or being judged. Feels like: Dread before social events, self-consciousness, avoidance. Can look like: Withdrawal, quietness, or excessive "people-pleasing." To calm it: Exposure therapy, self-compassion work, somatic calming tools, and reframing thoughts.
Panic Disorder
Sudden, intense panic attacks with physical symptoms. Feels like: A heart attack, shortness of breath, dizziness, intense fear. Can look like: Avoiding places where panic occurred, isolation. To calm it: Grounding techniques, safe spaces, body regulation tools, and CBT strategies.
Phobias
Intense fear of specific objects/situations (e.g. flying, spiders).
Feels like: An immediate surge of terror and avoidance. Can look like: Irrational behaviors or extreme reactions. To calm it: Gradual exposure with support, visualisation, breathwork, and somatic processing.
Health Anxiety
Obsessive worry about having or getting a serious illness. Feels like: Constant body-checking, googling symptoms, fear. Can look like: Frequent doctor visits, preoccupation with health. To calm it: Challenge unhelpful beliefs, limit checking behaviours, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation.
Separation Anxiety (common in children, but adults too)
Fear of being away from loved ones. Feels like: Worry, tears, panic at the thought of separation. Can look like: Clinginess, school refusal, control behaviours. To calm it: Build internal safety, use transition objects, practice safe separation, and nervous system co-regulation.
PTSD & Trauma-Related Anxiety
Anxiety rooted in past trauma, where the brain and body stay on alert for danger even when it's no longer present. Feels like: Flashbacks, nightmares, panic when triggered, emotional numbness, startle response, or feeling unsafe in your own body.
Can look like: Withdrawal, emotional outbursts, mistrust, agitation, or seeming "on edge" all the time. To calm it: Trauma-informed therapy, body-based approaches like IEMT, EFT, and breathwork, and slowly expanding the window of tolerance.
There are many forms of anxiety and these are just the surface ones, that are experience most commonly day to day by those living with anxiety.
How to Calm Anxiety
Calming anxiety starts with understanding it – and supporting your nervous system back into balance. Here are a few ways:
Deep Breathwork. Slows the heart rate, calms the mind. Try 4-7-8 breathing, box breathing, alternate nostril breathing or straw breathing.
Grounding Techniques – Use your senses to bring yourself back to the present (e.g., 5-4-3-2-1 technique, holding cold pebbles, take shoes off and connect directly to the earth.
Movement. Gentle walking, stretching, or shaking can help discharge excess adrenaline.
Self-Compassion. Speak to yourself with kindness. Anxiety is not your fault.
Routine and Predictability – Helps create a sense of safety.
Therapeutic interventions that help
There is no one “right” way to heal from anxiety – but there are many supportive paths. As a trauma-informed therapist, I work with both children and adults using a variety of approaches tailored to each unique individual:
Talking Therapy – Offers a safe space to explore the root of anxiety and develop coping strategies.
Hypnotherapy – Works with the subconscious mind to shift unhelpful patterns.
Hypnotherapy is a powerful therapeutic approach that works with the subconscious mind – the part of your brain where beliefs, emotional patterns, and memories are stored. Unlike stage hypnosis (which is often misunderstood), therapeutic hypnotherapy is a safe, collaborative process that helps guide you into a deeply relaxed, focused state where true healing can begin.
When it comes to anxiety, hypnotherapy is especially effective because anxiety is often rooted in automatic, unconscious responses. These are patterns the brain has learned – usually for protection – but they may no longer be serving you. Hypnotherapy helps gently rewire these responses and create new, healthier patterns.
Here’s how it works:
Accessing the Root Cause.
Anxiety often has a deeper origin – an early experience, belief, or trauma that created a “program” in the mind. Hypnotherapy allows us to access the subconscious where these patterns live, and work with them in a gentle, non-invasive way. This might involve uncovering where the anxiety began, reframing the event, or soothing the inner child that still feels unsafe.
Calming the Nervous System
Hypnosis itself induces a state of deep relaxation – slowing brainwaves, heart rate, and breathing. This trains the body to return to a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state, and begins to recondition the nervous system to feel safe without constant alertness.
Reprogramming the Mind
While in a hypnotic state, the mind is more open to positive suggestions. You remain in control the entire time – but we work together to plant calming, empowering beliefs that align with your healing. For example: “I am safe now,” “I trust myself to handle what comes,” or “It’s okay to feel calm.”
Building Inner Safety & Self-Compassion
Many people with anxiety carry self-judgment, shame, or fear. Hypnotherapy helps restore a sense of inner safety, connection, and compassion toward yourself – which is essential in anxiety recovery.
Reducing Triggers & Expanding the Window of Tolerance
Over time, hypnotherapy can reduce sensitivity to triggers, helping the amygdala (your brain’s smoke alarm) to calm down and respond more appropriately. This expands your window of tolerance, so that everyday situations no longer feel threatening.
What Hypnotherapy for Anxiety Might Feel Like
- A sense of deep calm during and after sessions
- Emotional release or insights into your anxiety’s root causes
- A growing ability to pause, breathe, and respond instead of react
- Decreased intensity and frequency of anxious thoughts or panic
- A stronger connection to your inner voice and sense of control
Hypnotherapy is Gentle, Safe, and Client-Led. As a trauma-informed therapist, I use hypnotherapy with great care and always at your pace. You are fully aware and in control – there is no “making” you do or feel anything. Instead, it’s a space where you reconnect with your own inner wisdom** and gently unlearn fear-based patterns. Whether you’re dealing with generalised anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD, or panic, hypnotherapy can be a powerful part of your healing toolkit.
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) – A form of tapping that helps regulate the nervous system. How EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Supports Anxiety. EFT, often referred to as “tapping,” is a gentle, yet powerful therapeutic tool that helps calm the nervous system, reduce emotional distress, and rewire the brain’s response to anxiety. It combines elements of psychology and acupressure, using the fingertips to tap on specific meridian points on the body while focusing on distressing thoughts or feelings.
EFT is rooted in the understanding that emotional experiences are stored in the body, not just the mind. When we experience anxiety, it’s not only a mental loop of worry—it’s also a physiological response that lives in the nervous system. EFT helps to soothe both.
Here’s how EFT helps with anxiety:
Regulates the Nervous System
By tapping on energy meridian points (similar to those used in acupuncture), EFT sends calming signals to the amygdala – the brain’s fear center. This helps deactivate the fight-or-flight response and signals to the body that it is safe, effectively reducing the intensity of anxiety in real time.
Interrupts the Thought-Emotion-Body Loop
Anxiety often begins with a thought, which leads to an emotion, and then a physical reaction (tight chest, racing heart, etc.). EFT works to break this loop by creating space between the thought and the emotional or physical reaction, making it easier to reframe anxious thinking.
Clears Emotional Blocks
Many people with anxiety carry unresolved emotional wounds or past traumas that keep the body in a constant state of alert. EFT allows us to gently acknowledge these feelings, release them, and replace them with more helpful beliefs—without needing to relive the trauma.
Builds Self-Awareness and Empowerment
The tapping process invites you to speak affirming statements aloud (e.g., “Even though I feel anxious, I deeply and completely accept myself”). This helps build self-compassion, an essential part of healing from anxiety.
Reduces Trigger Sensitivity
Over time, EFT reduces the emotional charge around certain triggers, helping you respond with more calm and clarity. This is especially beneficial for PTSD and trauma-related anxiety, as it works with the body in a safe, grounded way.
What EFT for Anxiety Might Feel Like
- A wave of calm during or after a tapping round
- Emotional release, like tears or deep exhalations
- A shift in how distressing a thought or memory feels (often from a 10/10 to a 2 or 3)
- A sense of empowerment – “I can do something to help myself right now”
- Greater clarity and peace around previously overwhelming situations
EFT is Safe, Gentle, and Self-Applicable
One of the beautiful things about EFT is that once you’ve learned the technique, you can use it on your own, anywhere and anytime. It’s like carrying a calming tool in your back pocket. As a trauma-informed therapist, I use EFT with clients of all ages – especially those who may find traditional talk therapy overwhelming. It can be done in-person or online, and it’s always led by what you feel safe exploring. EFT is a beautiful blend of the emotional and physical, making it a perfect match for anxiety that shows up both in the mind and body.
IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy)– Helps reduce the emotional charge around traumatic memories. How IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy) Supports Anxiety. IEMT, is a gentle yet effective approach that helps reduce the emotional intensity connected to anxiety, trauma, and troubling memories. It works by guiding the eyes through specific patterns while exploring emotional responses, which helps the brain reprocess and "de-link" emotion from memory.
Anxiety often stems from past experiences that the brain still perceives as a threat. These experiences – sometimes conscious, sometimes not – can become emotionally “stuck,” keeping the nervous system in a state of hyperarousal or panic IEMT helps to interrupt that pattern and bring the body back into a state of regulation.
Here’s how IEMT supports anxiety:
Shifts Emotional Imprints
Anxiety often lives in the body as an imprint of a past event. You may no longer consciously think about what caused the anxiety, but your nervous system remembers. IEMT helps shift the emotional response connected to a memory or pattern without needing to retell or relive the trauma.
Deactivates the Threat Response
Through guided eye movements and focused inquiry, IEMT helps the brain reassess old memories or fears. The process supports the amygdala in calming down, reducing the “threat” signal, and helping the body stop overreacting to situations that feel similar to the past.
Improves Emotional Resilience
IEMT works at a deep neurological level, allowing the brain to file away memories or beliefs that were previously causing distress. This gives you more space to respond, rather than react, to current challenges. In other words, it helps expand your window of tolerance.
No Need for Storytelling
Unlike traditional talk therapy, IEMT does not require clients to go into detailed retellings of difficult events. This makes it especially helpful for people who find verbal processing overwhelming, or who may struggle to explain what’s going on.
Supports Identity Shifts
IEMT also explores the patterns behind identity-based anxiety – such as “I’m not safe,” “I’m not good enough,” or “I always mess up.” These deep-rooted beliefs often drive anxious behavior. IEMT gently helps shift them at a core level.
What IEMT for Anxiety Might Feel Like
- Emotional intensity around a fear or memory suddenly drops
- A sense of space or detachment from something that used to feel overwhelming
- Less reactivity to common triggers
- A feeling of mental clarity or “lightness” after a session
- Increased calm in everyday situations, even those that used to cause anxiety
Gentle, Non-Verbal, and Fast-Acting
One of the greatest benefits of IEMT is how quickly it can help ease emotional charge — often within a session or two. It’s also ideal for children, teens, and neurodiverse clients who may struggle with expressing emotions verbally.
Breathwork – Activates the parasympathetic nervous system to bring calm and regulation. How Breathwork Supports Anxiety. Breathwork is one of the most immediate and powerful tools for calming anxiety because it works directly with the nervous system. When anxiety strikes, the breath often becomes shallow, rapid, or even held – reinforcing the body’s fight-or-flight state. Breathwork helps reverse this pattern, sending a clear message to the brain: You are safe now.”
By consciously changing how we breathe, we can shift from a state of survival and into a state of calm and presence, often within minutes. Breathwork is also one of the few tools always available to us – no equipment, no preparation, just the body and breath.
Here’s how breathwork helps ease anxiety:
Activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System. Breathwork helps stimulate the vagus nerve, which activates the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system – also known as the “rest and digest” state. This directly counters the effects of anxiety, lowering heart rate, relaxing muscles, and calming the mind.
Creates Present-Moment Awareness
Anxiety often pulls us into the future – worrying about what might happen. Breathwork draws us back into the now, creating a felt sense of safety and stillness. It helps quiet racing thoughts and re-anchors us in the body.
Regulates Emotional Response
When the breath is regulated, emotional regulation follows. Breathwork helps reduce the intensity of emotional surges, making space between stimulus and response – a key skill for anyone dealing with panic, social anxiety, or trauma-related symptoms.
Discharges Stored Stress
Certain types of breathwork, especially conscious connected breathing or somatic breath releases, help the body safely release stored stress and trauma that may be trapped in the nervous system. This can be deeply healing for long-term anxiety.
Empowers Self-Regulation
Perhaps most importantly, breathwork helps you develop a sense of agency. In moments of rising anxiety, breath becomes an anchor – a reminder that you can regulate your body, one breath at a time.
What Breathwork for Anxiety Might Feel Like
- A softening of tension in the body
- A slower heart rate and a quieter mind
- A feeling of being grounded or connected to yourself again
- Emotional release (sometimes tears, sighs, or shaking – all healthy signs of nervous system discharge)
- A sense of calm, focus, and clarity
Breathwork Is Accessible, Safe, and Trauma-Informed
There are many styles of breathwork – from short daily practices to longer therapeutic sessions. In trauma-informed spaces, the approach is always gentle, paced, and led by safety, For some people, even connecting to the breath can feel overwhelming at first – and that’s okay. We move at your pace.
I often integrate simple breath techniques into therapy sessions for children, teens, and adults – helping them build a toolkit of self-regulation strategies they can return to any time anxiety arises.
Bach Flower Remedies – Gentle, plant-based support for emotional balance.
Anxiety is more common than you think, and there is absolutely hope. With the right support, understanding, and tools, you can move from a state of fear to a state of safety.
Whether you're dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, bereavement or looking to break habits, reframe fears, or phobias. Phiona can help you develop approaches to overcome these barriers that prevent you from living life to the fullest. Helping you navigate life’s challenges and take the next step towards a brighter, calmer future.
If you feel you would like support, and you feel therapy may be the answer. I offer 15 minute complimentary consultations, for you to have the chance to discover how therapy might support you. Visit my website for more information.
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