It’s Not ‘Just in Your Head’—It’s in Your Body, and Here’s Why
I have heard from so many clients that when they share very real physical discomforts with their medical providers they are told that it is “just anxiety” is “just in your head”? That the stomach aches, digestive issues, or tight chest they feel are somehow imagined, exaggerated, or not “real”? But here’s the truth: That physical discomfort is very real. Anxiety is a full-body experience. It is not “just in your head”, it is in your body.
How Anxiety Lives in the Body
Anxiety isn’t simply about worrying too much. It’s a nervous system response that impacts everything from your digestion to your breathing. When your neuroception (inner surveillance system connected to the autonomic nervous system) perceives a threat - whether real or not - it sends signals to the rest of your body, shifting you into survival mode and to complete whatever task it thinks you need to complete (running, fighting, fleeing, fawning). Here’s how that plays out physically:
Gut Issues & IBS – Your nervous system and gut are deeply connected through the gut-brain axis. When anxiety kicks in, digestion slows down or speeds up, leading to bloating, nausea, or IBS-like symptoms. The reason for this is that when in an actual survival situation, your body is preparing you to run or fight, which means it needs energy to flow to your limbs, not digestion.
Tight Chest & Shallow Breathing – Anxiety activates the sympathetic nervous system, triggering rapid, shallow breathing, which can lead to dizziness, chest discomfort, or a sense of breathlessness. Again when in an actual survival situation, you need fast breathing while running or fighting.
Muscle Tension & Pain – Chronic stress keeps your body in a state of tension, leading to headaches, jaw clenching, and body aches. When in an actual survival situation you need these muscles tense to prepare you for running and/or fighting.
Heart Palpitations & Fatigue – A dysregulated nervous system can cause your heart rate to speed up or feel irregular (in a survivor situation this prepares you to run) leaving you exhausted from being in a prolonged state of alertness.
Why Regulating Your Nervous System Matters
If anxiety lives in the body, then healing must happen in the body, too. Regulating your nervous system isn’t about forcing yourself to “think positively.” It’s about creating safety within your body so that it doesn’t stay stuck in survival mode. Here’s how:
Body-Based Mindfulness – Practices like grounding, deep breathing, and body scans help signal to your brain that you are safe.
Somatic Work – Movement, shaking, or gentle self-touch can release stored tension from the body.
Polyvagal-Informed Techniques – Stimulating the vagus nerve (through humming, cold exposure, or co-regulation with others) helps shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight.
Somatic-Informed EMDR – Working with the body and brain together helps reprocess past experiences that keep the nervous system stuck in dysregulation.
Your Symptoms Are Real, And So Is Your Healing
The next time someone tells you it’s “just in your head,” remember this: Your body is telling a real story. Your anxiety is not something to ignore or push through - it’s something to listen to and support. It’s like a little alarm bell and then you can ask the question: what does this response need? Maybe it needs to orient back to safety, maybe it really is unsafe and needs to take action, maybe it needsa hug from a loved one, maybe it needs inner parenting. By learning how to work with your nervous system instead of against it, you can move from dysregulation to a state of safety, connection, and well-being.
If this resonates with you, know that you’re not alone. Nervous system healing is possible, and you deserve to feel better, not just in your mind, but in your whole body.
