Practical Ways to Calm Anxiety When It Feels Overwhelming

When anxiety feels overwhelming, it can be hard to know what will actually help you to calm anxiety in the moment. Your thoughts race, the physical sensations intensify, and logical reassurance can feel out of reach.

You may not know how to calm your anxiety and the things you have tried haven’t helped or just aren’t enough to help you feel better. Your mind races, your heart pounds, you feel hot and tense and you can feel stuck and helpless. The more anxious you feel, the more your thoughts race. The more you think the worst, the stronger the anxious physical sensations become. It’s exhausting and repetitive. You feel overwhelmed and you withdraw as you avoid things more and more. You struggle to calm your anxiety long enough to feel ‘normal’.

Many people I work with in Ely, Newmarket and the surrounding Cambridgeshire area tell me they don’t need ‘big solutions’ – they need small, practical ways to feel calmer when anxiety spikes.

Whilst you may not know how yet, you can calm anxious feelings and thoughts, even if they do feel overwhelming right now.

If anxiety feels overwhelming right now, you’re not alone – and there are simple things you can do that can start to ease the intensity.

This article shares some gentle, realistic steps that can help settle anxiety and bring your nervous system back towards balance.

 

Why anxiety feels overwhelming in the first place

When anxiety rises, your nervous system shifts into a heightened state of alert. Your breathing rate change, muscles tense, and your mind starts scanning for danger – even when there’s no immediate, actual threat.

This is why anxiety can feel so consuming. It’s not a failure of willpower or logic; it’s a physiological response designed to protect you, just firing too often or too strongly.

If you did encounter actual danger then the fight-or-flight response can protect you and allow you to respond quickly. However, problematic anxiety happens when you know everything is kind of alright, yet your mind and body respond in an overwhelming way. You feel disorientated and on edge. You struggle to control your thoughts and feelings. It all feels too much and, even when you feel better, you still worry about feeling that bad again. It’s like you are stuck in ‘alert’ mode and there is always something to worry about.

If you’d like a clearer understanding of how anxiety affects both mind and body, you may find the Anxiety Support Hub helpful.

 

Practical steps that can help calm anxiety

These aren’t quick fixes – but they can reduce intensity and help you feel more grounded.

1. Slow the breath gently

Rather than forcing deep breaths, aim for slower breathing out. Longer exhales send a calming signal to the nervous system.

2. Bring attention to the body

Noticing physical contact – feet on the floor, hands resting, back against a chair – can help interrupt spiralling thoughts and anchor you in the present moment.

3. Reduce mental resistance

Trying to ‘stop’ anxiety often increases it. Allowing the sensation to be there, without fighting it, can reduce the sense of threat. Remind yourself you are safe.

If anxiety is overwhelming regularly rather than occasionally, it may help to have the right support alongside these strategies.

4. Change the internal question

Instead of ‘How do I make this stop?’ try ‘What would help me feel just 5% calmer right now? Small shifts matter.

 

When anxiety becomes a repeating pattern

If anxiety regularly feels overwhelming, it’s often because the nervous system has learned to stay on high alert. You get caught in a loop of anxious thought, feelings and behaviours that negatively support each other.

In these cases, practical steps are helpful – but addressing the underlying pattern becomes important. It’s about calmly taking back control over your own mind and body – and then knowing how to stay feeling better.

You can read more about how this is approached on my Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely page.

 

A gentle reminder

Feeling overwhelmed by anxiety doesn’t mean you’re broken, weak or failing. It means your system is doing its best to protect you – and it sometimes needs support to settle again.

With the right understanding and approach, anxiety can become quieter, less frightening and far more manageable.

You don’t have to handle anxiety on your own – effective support is available when you’re ready.

If you’d like to talk things through calmly, a free consultation is available.

To your health and happiness,

Dan Regan

Anxiety Therapy & Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

 

Could you use some help with anxiety in Ely, Newmarket or Online? Struggling with anxiety, stress, worry and fear and need some help? Contact me to book your Free Initial Consultation: Appointments

Find out what hundreds of other people have said after their anxiety hypnotherapy sessions in Ely with Dan: Hypnotherapy Testimonials

And check out these popular and powerful hypnosis downloads that can start helping you right away with anxiety, confidence and more: Hypnosis Downloads

 

 

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Practical ways to calm anxiety