Anxiety is more than just feeling overwhelmed in the moment. It often comes from deep-rooted beliefs we carry about ourselves and the world around us. These beliefs are not always obvious. In many cases, they operate quietly in the background, shaping how we respond to stress, relationships, and even rest. In my work with children, I often hear them describe anxiety using the character Anxiety from Inside Out. This comparison is meaningful because it helps externalize their experience of anxiety. It reminds both the child and their parents that anxiety is an experience, not something that defines them, even when it feels overwhelming.

Anxiety is not only something people think; it is also something people experience physically and emotionally throughout their entire bodies. It can feel like muscle tension, an inability to rest, guilt about slowing down, and emotional hypervigilance.

Emotional hypervigilance can be described as a feeling in the body of being on high alert and scanning for danger. The common saying “waiting for the other shoe to drop” can indicate that a person is experiencing anxiety.

It’s 3:12 a.m. Sleep won’t come, and yet you are exhausted. What started as a memory from your day has spiraled into a sleepless night of anxious overthinking and worry.

Did your boss understand your proposal? Did you come down on your child too hard? As you toss and turn, your chest feels tight, and your heart and mind just will not stop racing.

Anxiety has a way of making it feel as though the problem is happening right now.