10 Surprising Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Anxiety
Have you ever caught yourself wondering why your body seems to react before your mind even realises what’s going on?
Maybe your heart starts racing during a quiet moment, or your thoughts spiral just when you want to relax. Anxiety can feel unpredictable and exhausting, but what if some of what you’ve believed about it isn’t the full story?
At Better Your Life, we believe anxiety isn’t an enemy to be defeated. It’s a message that tells us something about how our body, brain and emotions are trying to keep us safe. We believe it is our superpower. When we start to understand those messages, we can learn to calm our nervous system, trust ourselves again, and feel grounded in our bodies.
Here are 10 surprising things most people don’t know about anxiety, facts that can help you see it with more compassion and curiosity.
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1. Anxiety is a Protective Response, Not a Flaw
When anxiety strikes, it can feel like something is wrong with you. Your heart races, your breath shortens, your muscles tense. But what’s really happening is your nervous system is stepping into action. It’s preparing you to face what it believes might be a danger. This is the ancient fight, flight, or freeze response that once kept our ancestors alive.
In the modern world, it simply fires when our brains perceive threat, like a work deadline, a social interaction or uncertainty about the future. Once we recognise it as protection rather than punishment, we can meet it with kindness instead of fear.
2. Your Brain Reacts to Thoughts as if They Are Real
Your brain doesn’t always know the difference between imagination and reality. When you think about a stressful situation, perhaps an argument or a presentation, your body can release the same hormones it would if it were truly happening. That’s why worry feels so real.
The same principle works in reverse too though. Imagining calm, safety or a positive outcome can send reassuring signals to your nervous system. It’s proof that what we focus on truly shapes how we feel.
3. A Touch of Anxiety Can Sharpen Your Performance
Not all anxiety is bad. In fact, a small amount of anxiety can heighten your focus and alertness. Your senses sharpen, reaction time speeds up and your attention narrows to the task at hand. This can be particularly helpful in moments when you need to perform, whether that’s giving a talk in front of others or driving in challenging weather conditions.
The key here is finding balance. When anxiety becomes constant, the body never gets a chance to rest, leaving you feeling drained. That’s where nervous system regulation becomes key. Learning how to bring yourself back to calm once the moment has passed ensures you can get yourself out of the fight and flight response and back into rest and digest mode.
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4. Yawning can be a sign of regulation
You might notice yourself yawning more when you feel anxious, especially before something stressful like an interview. This isn’t necessarily a sign of boredom or even tiredness. It may be your body’s way of cooling the brain when it becomes overstimulated. The jaw movement increases blood flow to the face, while the deep inhalation draws in cooler air which may help regulate brain temperature and oxygen levels, while calming your nervous system and supporting focus and composure. The deep breath stretches the lungs and heart rate, which can increase alertness.
So the next time you yawn in a tense moment, take it as a little sign that your body is trying to steady itself.
5. Anxious Minds are Often Creative Minds
If you have an active imagination, you’ve probably noticed how vividly your mind plays out “what ifs.” This creativity comes from the same neural networks responsible for problem-solving and innovation. Many people with anxiety are deep thinkers, intuitive and highly empathetic, and we need to use that imaginative power to create rather than catastrophise.
You’re not overthinking; you’re over-feeling. With practice, that same sensitivity can become one of your greatest strengths.
6. Anxiety Can Be ‘Picked Up’ Through Empathy
Have you ever felt calm until someone else’s anxiety and tension seemed to fill the room? This phenomenon is known as emotional contagion, where our nervous system subconsciously mirrors the energy around us. Humans are social beings, wired to attune to one another for survival.
The beautiful opposite is that calm energy is contagious too. When we steady and ground ourselves, we not only soothe our own bodies but help others regulate through co-regulation, offering quiet, unspoken reassurance that says, “You’re safe here.”
This is why it is beneficial to surround ourselves with positive people who lift us up, rather than drain us.
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7. Your Gut Plays a Huge Role in How Anxious You Feel
Around 90% of serotonin, the chemical that helps us feel calm and balanced, is produced in the gut. This means digestion and emotional wellbeing are deeply connected. When we eat huge meals or eat irregularly, rely on caffeine to pick us up, or skip meals altogether, the gut struggles to maintain this balance, which can heighten anxiety.
Nourishing your body with gentle foods, staying hydrated, and eating mindfully are more powerful than many people realise. You’re not just feeding your body when you eat, you are also nourishing your emotional stability.
8. Movement Helps Anxiety Move Through You
Anxiety is energy looking for release. That’s why it can feel restless or jittery. Movement helps. Whether it’s a walk in nature, stretching, dancing in your kitchen or shaking out your hands, these small actions signal to the brain that the “danger” has passed.
Even short bursts of movement, one song, one deep stretch, one walk around the block, can change your body’s chemistry and restore steadiness.
Anxiety triggers the fight or flight response, when your body prepares you to fight back or run away, hence movement closes the anxiety loop and allows your body to feel safe again.
9. Anxiety Can Distort Your Sense of Time
Have you ever noticed how slowly time seems to move when you’re anxious? That’s because your brain is hyper-alert, scanning for danger and processing more details per second. It makes each moment feel stretched.
When you feel stuck in that distorted sense of time, focusing on the present moment helps. Look around. Name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This brings your brain back to a state of safety and back to the present moment.
10. You Can Train Your Body to Return to Calm Faster
Every time you practise a calming technique, be that deep breathing, gentle self-talk, grounding yourself, or mindfulness, you are teaching your nervous system how to recover. It’s like strengthening a muscle. The more you practise calm, the more quickly your body learns to find it next time.
Anxiety may still visit, but it won’t stay as long or feel as intense. You’ll know exactly how to meet it, soothe it and move through it.
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What This Means for You
Understanding anxiety changes everything. It’s no longer a mysterious force that makes us feel broken and takes over our mind, it’s a sign that we don't feel safe. And when we learn to listen, we can respond in a way that supports us rather than frightens us.
At Better Your Life, we help clients do exactly that. We build awareness, reconnect to the body, and create safety from within. Nervous System Therapy allows you to understand what’s happening in your body and gently retrain it to find peace again.
If you’re ready to start that journey, you can connect with an anxiety therapist. Together, we’ll help you feel calm, confident, and in control again.
Anxiety isn’t here to break you. It’s here to wake you; to remind you that your body is alive and responsive, and capable of healing. Once you understand how anxiety works, you begin to see it in a different light.
You don’t need to struggle alone. Now is the right time to take back control of your life and free yourself from those anxious thoughts. Visit Better Your Life
to begin your journey towards calm, clarity, and confidence.
Let’s Take the First Step Together
If anxiety is affecting your physical health, it’s time to take it seriously.
At Better Your Life, we’ve helped thousands of clients reclaim calm from anxiety. And we’re here for you too, either online and in person.
Many traditional approaches treat anxiety in isolation. But your body is constantly communicating with your mind. Working with someone who understands anxiety and the nervous system can help you heal in a more lasting way.
You don't have to face any anxiety alone. Many people find themselves trapped in cycles of worry, panic, and exhaustion that seem impossible to break free from.
Working with an anxiety specialist isn't just about talking through your challenges. It's also about discovering the specific triggers that send your nervous system into overdrive, learning proven techniques to restore calm, and gaining real tools to reshape both your mind and body.
Now is the right time to take back control of your life and free yourself from those anxious thoughts and physical pains.
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FAQs About Anxiety
1. Can anxiety ever be helpful?
Yes. A small dose of anxiety can motivate and focus us. It’s only when it becomes chronic that it starts to feel draining.
2. Why does anxiety make me feel dizzy or sick?
When the body shifts into alert mode, blood flow is redirected from digestion to the muscles. This can cause nausea, dizziness, or a feeling of tightness in the stomach.
3. Can changing my diet really help anxiety?
Absolutely. Regular meals, hydration, and gut-friendly foods help regulate mood. Reducing caffeine, alcohol and sugar can also lower nervous system stimulation.
4. How long does it take to feel calmer once anxiety starts?
It varies, but with regular nervous system work, most people find they can bring their body back to calm much faster over time, sometimes in just a few seconds or minutes.
5. What’s the first step if I want to manage my anxiety naturally?
Start by reconnecting with your body. Take a slow, deep breath in, exhale fully, and remind yourself that you’re safe. Gentle consistency always beats forceful change.
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