How to Explain Your Anxiety (and Actually Feel Understood)
If you’ve ever tried to talk about your anxiety and ended up saying something like, “I don’t know, I just feel off,” you’re not alone. Anxiety is frustratingly hard to describe, especially when it shows up more in your body than in your thoughts. But the more specific you can get, the easier it becomes to communicate what you’re experiencing—and to start managing it.
Here’s your cheat sheet for naming anxiety in your own words, plus practical tools to calm your nervous system when things start to spiral.
Chest Tightness or Pressure
What it can feel like:
“It’s like something is bouncing on my chest.”
“I feel like an elephant is sitting on me.”
“I can’t get a full breath, like I’m stuck in a tiny box.”
“My heart won’t stop racing.”
Try this: Box Breathing
Use the 4-4-4-4 method to slow your breath and your body.
Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold again for 4.
Repeat until you start to feel a shift.
Stomach Discomfort or Nausea
What it can feel like:
“I have a pit in my stomach, like I’m about to drop on a roller coaster.”
“It feels like butterflies, but not in a good way.”
“My stomach is twisting like a wrung-out towel.”
“I feel like I swallowed a rock.”
Try this: Barefoot Grounding
Take off your shoes and stand on the ground—grass, carpet, wood floor, anything.
Pay attention to how the surface feels under your feet.
Take five slow, deep breaths while pressing your heels into the ground.
Throat Tightness or Lump Sensation
What it can feel like:
“There’s a lump in my throat, like I need to cry but can’t.”
“My throat is tight, like I’m choking on words.”
“It’s like my voice is buffering and won’t come out.”
Try this: Humming or Gentle Sound Work
Take a deep breath and hum as you exhale.
Try different tones like “mmm” or “ahh.”
This helps release tension in your throat and signals to your body that you’re safe.
Racing Thoughts or Disconnection
What it can feel like:
“My brain is running 100 tabs at once.”
“Everything feels loud, chaotic, and out of focus.”
“I feel disconnected, like I’m outside of my own body.”
Try this: The 3-3-3 Grounding Technique
Name three things you can see, three things you can hear, and three things you can touch.
This helps orient you to the present moment and bring your nervous system back online.
Shakiness or Physical Restlessness
What it can feel like:
“My hands are trembling like I’ve had too much caffeine.”
“My legs feel wobbly, like they might give out.”
“My whole body is buzzing, but I feel frozen at the same time.”
Try this: Cold Water Reset
Run cold water over your wrists or hold an ice cube.
Focus on the physical sensation—it helps interrupt the body’s anxiety response and creates a reset point.
Bringing This Into Therapy (or Everyday Life)
Choose descriptions that match your experience and share them in session.
Notice when and how anxiety shows up—patterns matter.
Try out different grounding strategies to see what helps you regulate best.
If none of these descriptions land, create your own. Your version is valid.
There’s no one-size-fits-all way to describe anxiety. But finding words that resonate with you—and tools that soothe your system—makes a big difference. Understanding your anxiety is the first step to feeling more in control of it.
You don’t have to power through anxiety alone. If you're ready to explore what’s behind the overwhelm and find real strategies that work for you, we’re here to help.
Click below to book a free 15-minute consultation with a therapist at Gluck Psychology Collective.