📋 Body Part Information
👆 Click on any body part to learn how anxiety shows up there!
🧠Head & Brain
What you might feel:
- Racing thoughts or worry spiral
- Hard to concentrate or focus
- Headache or pressure
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Brain fog or feeling confused
💡 What This Means:
Your brain is on high alert! It's trying to protect you by thinking of every possible danger. This is your "worry brain" working overtime.
🛠️ How to Help:
Try grounding exercises, mindfulness, or writing down your worries to clear your mind.
❤️Chest & Heart
What you might feel:
- Heart beating fast or pounding
- Tight chest or pressure
- Hard to take deep breaths
- Feeling like you can't breathe
- Chest pain or discomfort
💡 What This Means:
Your body is preparing for action! Your heart pumps faster to send blood to your muscles. It's uncomfortable but not dangerous - it's your body's alarm system.
🛠️ How to Help:
Practice deep breathing! Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4. This tells your body it's safe to calm down.
🤢Stomach & Belly
What you might feel:
- Butterflies or fluttery feeling
- Nausea or feeling sick
- Stomachache or cramps
- Need to use the bathroom
- Loss of appetite
💡 What This Means:
When anxious, your body slows down digestion to save energy for dealing with "danger." That's why your stomach feels weird!
🛠️ How to Help:
Try belly breathing, drink water, or use a heating pad. Sometimes moving your body helps too!
👐Hands & Arms
What you might feel:
- Sweaty or clammy palms
- Shaky or trembling hands
- Tingling or pins-and-needles
- Cold hands or fingers
- Fidgeting or restlessness
💡 What This Means:
Your body is sending extra blood to big muscles and less to your hands. The shakiness is extra energy your body made to help you move quickly if needed.
🛠️ How to Help:
Use a fidget tool, squeeze a stress ball, or do progressive muscle relaxation (tense and release).
💪Shoulders & Neck
What you might feel:
- Tense, tight muscles
- Shoulders up near ears
- Neck pain or stiffness
- Shoulder ache or soreness
- Jaw clenching
💡 What This Means:
Your muscles tense up to protect you - it's like your body is getting ready to fight or run away. You might not even notice you're doing it!
🛠️ How to Help:
Roll your shoulders, stretch your neck, or do shoulder shrugs (up to ears, then drop and relax).