When Anxiety Speaks: Listen to It, Understand It, Transform It

Welcome to this space where we pause, breathe, and reconnect with who we are.

Today we explore a topic that touches many of us—often in silence: anxiety.

Anxiety is a natural emotion. But when it takes up too much space, when it blocks us, when it leaves us breathless... then it deserves attention, not judgment.

Understanding Anxiety

To understand anxiety, we must recognize that it is part of the emotional spectrum of fear.Fear is a primary emotion—it protects us. It prepares us to act: to flee, fight, or freeze.

Physiologically, fear activates the sympathetic nervous system, putting us in “alert mode.”

The heart beats faster, muscles tense, breathing quickens. We’re ready to react.

That’s useful—when the danger is real.

But in today’s world, most threats are symbolic:

Alarming news headlines
Continuous media feeds
Social media comparisons and judgment
Repetitive future-oriented thoughts

Our brain doesn’t always distinguish between real and imagined threats. It activates the same system—and keeps it activated.

This leads to a prolonged state of hyperarousal (Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score).

We live in constant alert—even when no danger is present.

Symptoms can include:

Fast heartbeat
Insomnia
Obsessive thoughts
Irritability
Digestive issues
Difficulty concentrating

Even simple moments—like scrolling news over breakfast—can subtly trigger the system.And if this happens daily, that state of alert becomes your baseline.

“The primitive brain doesn’t distinguish between real and imagined threats.”— Daniel Siegel, The Developing Mind

My Personal Experience

I’ve gone through a period of anxiety, often with panic attacks. They’d show up without warning—while walking, or in the mountains. I developed vertigo, and fear of driving in high altitudes. Everything felt potentially dangerous.

I underwent tests: allergies, heart, lungs. All came back “normal.” But I felt scared, frozen, and lost. My body was speaking… and I couldn’t understand it.

Thanks to mindfulness practice and my studies in clinical neuropsychology, I’ve learned to listen to anxiety. Not to fix it—but to feel it.

Sometimes, there’s no clear answer. Trying to find one may only make it worse.

“Emotions—especially anxiety—don’t ask to be solved. They ask to be felt.”

At first, I resisted; I didn’t want to feel anything—I just wanted it to go away, but over time, with a lot of self-kindness, I learned to stay. To not run. To be present.

And you know what? Since then, I haven’t had another panic attack.

Not because fear disappeared—But because now, I notice its signals before they grow too loud.

Practical Strategies to Manage Anxiety

These practices helped me, and I share them with love.There are no magic solutions—just simple, powerful tools to shift how we relate to anxiety.

1. Body Awareness

When I feel anxious, I ask: “Where is it in my body?”Often, I feel it in my chest.

I place a hand over my heart, or gently massage the thymus (the center of the chest, below the collarbones).

🌀 The thymus is a small gland behind the sternum. It’s sensitive to touch and connected to emotional regulation. Stimulating it sends a soothing message to the nervous system:➡️ “It’s okay. You are safe.”

2. Breathing Techniques

I don’t force my breath.I focus on gently extending the exhale—a powerful gesture.

With each exhale, the body releases stress hormones (cortisol, noradrenaline).With each inhale, oxygen—and also oxytocin, the hormone of connection—flows in.

"What you feel, you can heal."

🧬 Studies by McEwen and Sapolsky show that long, conscious exhalations can reduce stress hormone levels and bring us back to calm.

3. Mindfulness and Meditation

Even 5 minutes a day to simply be present
Observe the breath without changing it
Let thoughts come and go without judgment

4. Physical Self-Compassion

Place a hand on your heart or belly
Gently massage any area of tension
Say to yourself: “It’s okay. I hear you. I’m with you.”

5. Cognitive Restructuring

Write down recurring anxious thoughts
Ask: “Is this really true?”
Reframe them kindly and realistically

Pause and Reflect

Take a breath.Close your eyes.

Where do you feel anxiety in your body? What is it saying to you?

Anxiety is not your enemy. It’s a voice that wants to be heard. The more we resist it, the louder it gets. The more we welcome it, the more it softens.

Final Thoughts

Anxiety is part of being human. But it doesn’t define us.

We can learn to listen, to understand, and to transform it.

🎧 If this resonated with you, share it.

📩 Want to tell me your story? Write me! I’d love to hear it.

When Anxiety Speaks: Listen to It, Understand It, Transform It