Worry vs. anxiety
A little worry is normal and even helpful.
- Worry: passes once the situation is handled.
- Anxiety: strong, frequent, or hard to switch off.
- It can appear even when there's no clear danger.
- When it disrupts sleep, work, or relationships, it's worth addressing.
How anxiety feels
It shows up in the body, the mind, and behavior.
- Body: racing heart, tight chest, sweating, shaky, upset stomach.
- Mind: constant 'what if,' expecting the worst, hard to focus.
- Behavior: avoiding places, people, or tasks that feel scary.
- It's real and physical — not something you can just 'snap out of.'
Why avoidance backfires
Dodging what scares us feels good briefly, then makes it worse.
- Avoiding brings quick relief — so we do it again.
- But it teaches the brain the thing really is dangerous.
- The fear grows and life gets smaller.
- Facing fears gently, in small steps, shrinks them.
Anxiety toolkit
- Grounding: Use your senses to come back to the present moment.
- Slow breathing: Longer out-breaths tell the body it is safe.
- Name it: 'This is anxiety. It will pass.' Naming lowers its power.
- Worry time: Set aside 15 minutes for worries — not all day.
- Small steps: Face a fear a little at a time, not all at once.
- Move: A walk burns off the adrenaline anxiety creates.
What is a panic attack?
A sudden surge of intense fear — frightening, but not dangerous.
- Comes on fast: pounding heart, can't breathe, dizzy, unreal feeling.
- Peaks within about 10 minutes, then eases.
- Feels like danger, but it will not harm you.
- Riding it out teaches your body it is safe.
Riding out a panic attack
Tap each step to see how.
- Remind yourself — 'This is panic. It's uncomfortable but not dangerous. It will pass.'
- Breathe out slowly — Make your out-breath longer than your in-breath.
- Ground in your senses — Feel your feet on the floor; notice 5 things you can see.
- Wait it out — Don't fight it. Let the wave rise and fall — it always falls.
Try: the 5-4-3-2-1 ground
A grounding tool for anxious moments. Tap each step.
- 5 — see — Name five things you can see around you.
- 4 — feel — Name four things you can touch or feel.
- 3 — hear — Name three sounds you can hear right now.
- 2 — smell — Name two things you can smell.
- 1 — taste — Name one thing you can taste — then take a slow breath.
Feed calm, not anxiety
Daily habits change how anxious you feel overall.
- Sleep and regular meals steady your nervous system.
- Caffeine and alcohol can make anxiety worse.
- Movement and time outdoors lower baseline anxiety.
- Limiting news and social media protects a busy mind.
Panic usually peaks within about 10 minutes and then fades. Knowing it's time-limited makes it easier to ride out.
Calms anxiety, or fuels it?
- Grounding with your senses
- Avoiding everything that scares you
- A daily walk
- Lots of coffee
- Slow breathing
- Checking the news all night
Facing a fear, gently
Shrink a fear one small step at a time.
- Pick one thing anxiety makes you avoid.
- Break it into small steps, from easiest to hardest.
- Do the easiest step — and let the anxiety settle before the next.
- Repeat. Each step tells your brain: I can handle this.
When to get more help
Anxiety is very treatable — you don't have to manage alone.
- Anxiety that disrupts sleep, work, or relationships for weeks.
- Frequent panic attacks or avoiding many situations.
- Using alcohol or drugs to cope with worry.
- Talk to a health worker — and 988 if you ever feel unsafe.
What you learned
- A little worry is normal; anxiety takes over.
- It's real and physical — not a weakness.
- Panic peaks in ~10 minutes and passes — ride it out.
- Grounding, breathing, and small steps calm anxiety.
- Anxiety is very treatable; reach out for support.
