Anxiety is a felt emotion. It originates from our instinctual fight, flight, or freeze response. You may notice physical signs such as rapid heart rate, shallow breathing, pit in your stomach, or sweating before recognizing the mental gymnastics your brain is performing. Mentally you may be preoccupied with a past or future event, ruminating or fixating on a possible feared consequence. It can feel like you’re constantly grasping for control yet it remains elusive.

The best way to treat anxiety is to learn how to live with it. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based intervention that can teach you how to feel anxious and still do the things that are important to you. There are also strategies from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that can help you reframe your anxious thoughts and challenge assumptions you may be making. We’ll also want to assess other lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, sleep patterns, relationships, time management, work or school responsibilities, and physical health.

RESOURCES

• Anxiety log

• Grounding exercises