Anxiety

About anxiety

What anxiety is, why it happens and what keeps it going. Contents:

• What is anxiety?
• How common is it?
• Types
• Symptoms
• Why it feels so physical
• Causes
• The avoidance trap
• Conventional treatment
• In an anxious moment
• Taming worry
• Children and teenagers
• Helping someone
• FAQs

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is the feeling of unease, worry or fear that comes when your brain senses a threat. It sets off the body’s “fight or flight” response: your heart beats faster, your breathing quickens, your muscles tense and your attention narrows. That response is useful when you need to slam on the brakes or prepare for an exam.

Problems start when the alarm goes off too often, too strongly, or when there is no real danger. The NHS describes anxiety that affects daily life and is difficult to control as a reason to get help. A panic attack is a sudden rush of intense fear. It usually lasts 5 to 20 minutes and, although it can feel terrifying, it is not dangerous. [3] [4]

How common is it?

The World Health Organization estimates that 470 million people had an anxiety disorder in 2023, about 5.8% of the world’s population, making anxiety disorders the most common mental health conditions worldwide. More women are affected than men. Yet only about 1 in 4 people who need treatment receive any. [1]

In England, the latest Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (2023/24) found that about one in five adults has a common mental health condition such as anxiety or depression. [2] If you are struggling, you are far from alone.

Types of anxiety

• Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD): persistent worry about many different things, most days, for at least six months.
• Panic disorder: repeated, unexpected panic attacks and fear of having more.
• Social anxiety: intense fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations.
• Phobias: intense fear of a specific object, place, animal or situation.
• Health anxiety: constant worry about being or becoming ill.
• Related conditions: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) also involve anxiety and have their own specific treatments.

Only a doctor or qualified professional can diagnose these conditions. The NHS specifically advises not to self-diagnose. [3]

Symptoms

Anxiety affects the mind, the body and behaviour. Common symptoms include: [3] [4]

• In your mind: constant worry, feeling on edge, irritability, trouble concentrating, a sense of dread.
• In your body: a racing or irregular heartbeat, breathlessness, dizziness, sweating, shaking, muscle tension, headaches, chest pain, nausea and stomach problems, tiredness and trouble sleeping.
• In what you do: avoiding places, people or tasks; seeking constant reassurance; checking; using alcohol or other substances to cope.

Some of these symptoms, such as chest pain, can also have physical causes. If you are unsure, get checked by a doctor.

Why anxiety feels so physical

When your brain detects a threat, it releases stress hormones such as adrenaline. Your heart pumps faster to send blood to your muscles, your breathing speeds up to take in more oxygen, digestion slows down, and you may sweat or shake. These changes are designed to help you run or fight.

The trouble is that the same response kicks in when the “threat” is a meeting, a crowded shop or a worrying thought. Because the sensations are strong, many people fear something is seriously wrong with their body, which makes them more anxious and the sensations stronger. Understanding that a pounding heart or tight chest is the alarm system at work, rather than a sign of danger, is often the first step to breaking that loop. Slow breathing helps because a long exhale works directly against the speeding-up part of the response.

What causes anxiety?

There is rarely one single cause. The NHS lists several things that make generalised anxiety more likely: having close relatives with anxiety or depression, stressful or traumatic experiences such as abuse or bullying, a painful long-term health condition, a history of drug or alcohol misuse, and already having another anxiety condition. [4]

Day-to-day factors can also turn the volume up: poor sleep, too much caffeine, alcohol, money worries, work pressure and big life changes.

Why anxiety keeps going: the avoidance trap

Anxiety is self-reinforcing. When something makes you anxious and you avoid it, you feel instant relief. Your brain notes that avoiding it “worked”, so next time the urge to avoid is even stronger, and your world gets a little smaller. The same happens with reassurance-seeking, checking and safety behaviours such as always sitting near the exit.

The way out is to approach, gradually and on purpose. The NHS advises that gradually spending more time in situations that make you anxious can reduce the anxiety. [4] This is the principle behind exposure, one of the core parts of CBT.

Conventional treatment

The usual medical route starts with self-help, then talking therapy such as CBT or applied relaxation, and medication when needed. [5] Many people combine conventional help with alternative approaches.

What to do in an anxious moment

1. Name it. “This is anxiety. It feels awful, but it is not dangerous, and it will pass.”
2. Slow your breath. Two inhales through the nose, then a long, slow exhale. Repeat for a minute or two.
3. Ground yourself. Notice five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste.
4. Let it peak and fall. Instead of fighting the feelings, let them rise and settle. A panic attack usually passes within 5 to 20 minutes. [3]
5. Carry on. If you can, stay where you are and continue what you were doing. That teaches your brain you can cope.

Taming worry: practical tools

Worry is the thinking side of anxiety: a chain of “what ifs” that feels productive but rarely solves anything. These CBT-based tools are widely used in self-help programmes and talking therapy.

Sort worries into “can act” and “can’t act”

When a worry pops up, ask whether there is something you can do about it now. If there is, plan the first step and do it. If there isn’t, practise noticing the worry and letting it go, rather than going round in circles. The NHS suggests focusing on the things you can change rather than the things you can’t. [4]

Schedule “worry time”

Set aside 15 to 20 minutes at the same time each day to worry on purpose. When worries appear at other times, jot them down and postpone them until then. Many people find that by the time worry time arrives, the worries have shrunk or no longer matter.

Check the thought

Anxious thoughts tend to overestimate how likely something bad is and underestimate how well you would cope. Ask: what is the evidence for and against this? What would I tell a friend thinking this? What is the most realistic outcome, and how would I handle it?

Write it down

Getting worries out of your head and onto paper makes them easier to look at clearly. A short journal of what triggered your anxiety, what you thought and what you did can also reveal patterns over a few weeks.

Anxiety in children and teenagers

Children and teenagers get anxious too, and it can show up as stomach aches, clinginess, trouble sleeping, irritability or refusing to go to school. Stay calm, listen, and help them face fears in small steps rather than avoiding them altogether. If anxiety is affecting their daily life, speak to their doctor or school. [3]

Helping someone with anxiety

Listen without judging, and ask what helps rather than assuming. Avoid saying “just calm down” or “there’s nothing to worry about”, which can make people feel unheard. Gently encourage small steps rather than taking over tasks they fear, because doing everything for them can feed avoidance. Help them find support, such as their doctor or a qualified therapist, and look after your own wellbeing too.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between stress and anxiety?

Stress is usually a response to a specific pressure, and it eases when the pressure goes. Anxiety can continue even when there is no clear cause, or long after the trigger has passed.

Can anxiety be cured?

Many people recover fully, and most people find their symptoms become much more manageable with treatment and self-help. Anxiety may return in stressful times, but the skills you learn keep working.

Do alternative methods work for anxiety?

Some, such as EFT tapping, have a growing number of studies. Many others haven’t been formally tested yet. People often try a few approaches to find what suits them.

Should I take medication for anxiety?

That is a decision to make with your doctor. Medication can help, especially when anxiety is severe or long-lasting, and it can be combined with talking therapy.

When should I see a doctor?

If anxiety is affecting your daily life, if self-help isn’t working, or if you’re not sure what you are experiencing. [3]

The best videos on anxiety

Hand-picked and checked one by one: clear explainers, guided exercises from the NHS, and talks from psychologists and neuroscientists.

Start here

Calm it now

Understand and reframe it

Videos are chosen by Self Help Supermarket and hosted on YouTube by their creators. They are for information and are not a substitute for professional care.

Books on anxiety

Free resources

Experts to follow

Get help

See a doctor if anxiety is affecting your daily life, if self-help isn’t working, or if you’d like to discuss treatment.

This hub is for information, not a substitute for medical or psychological care. Do not stop or change prescribed medication without speaking to your doctor.

Sources

1. World Health Organization, Anxiety disorders fact sheet (updated September 2026)
2. Mental Health Foundation, most common mental health problems (citing the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2023/24)
3. NHS, Anxiety, fear and panic
4. NHS, Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults
5. World Health Organization, Anxiety disorders fact sheet
6. Hoge et al. (2022), MBSR vs escitalopram for anxiety disorders, JAMA Psychiatry; Neuroscience News summary
7. Singh et al. (2023), physical activity for depression, anxiety and distress, British Journal of Sports Medicine; ScienceAlert summary
8. Balban et al. (2023), Brief structured respiration practices, Cell Reports Medicine

Last reviewed 25 October 2026 by the Self Help Supermarket editorial team. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.