Managing Anxiety: What I’ve Learned and Tried

Anxiety disorders now affect over 300 million people globally (WHO, 2023) - a startling reminder that what was once an ancient survival mechanism has become one of modern life's most common struggles. While I'm not a mental health professional, my own experiences with anxiety and research from experts like Dr Daniel Amen and Dr Joe Dispenza have shown me it's possible to transform that constant hum of worry into something more manageable. Whether it's a fleeting sense of unease before a big meeting or those 3am spirals about that awkward thing you said in 2012, this guide brings together science-backed tools and practical strategies I've found helpful.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural human emotion, often characterised by feelings of worry, nervousness, or unease. It can manifest physically through increased heart rate, sweating, restlessness, or difficulty concentrating (Healthdirect, 2023).

While anxiety can be a healthy response to perceived threats, it becomes problematic when it is persistent and disproportionate to the situation, interfering with everyday life.

Anxiety often feels like an alarm system that won't turn off - what psychiatrist Dr Daniel Amen describes as your brain's threat response becoming overactive and unfocused (Amen, 2022). When our adrenal system stays constantly engaged, it creates that exhausting state of being perpetually 'on alert,' reacting to everyday stresses as if they were life-threatening situations. This explains why anxiety can feel so overwhelming - your body is preparing for danger that isn't actually there, leaving you tense, exhausted, and stuck in a cycle of worry.

What Causes Anxiety?

In our ancestral environment, fear was typically intense, rare, and short-lived. It emerged in life-threatening situations—such as an animal attack or a hostile environment—and once the danger passed, so did the fear. Today, however, fear has become chronic and low-level. As Arthur Brooks (2023) discusses in Modern Wisdom, social media, constant digital exposure, and fast-paced lifestyles keep our threat-detection systems chronically activated.

Our limbic system, particularly the amygdala, sends mild but ongoing signals to the hypothalamus, which then activates the pituitary gland. This triggers the adrenal glands to release cortisol in a slow, steady drip. As a result, we are left in a continuous state of low-grade alertness—always waiting for the next disaster, even when one isn’t present. This contributes to sleep disturbances, irritability, fatigue, and more persistent forms of anxiety.

Understanding the Brain and Anxiety

The limbic system is the brain's emotional centre, while the prefrontal cortex is the part responsible for logic, planning, and rational thinking. When anxiety takes hold, we often remain trapped in the limbic system’s reactive loop. However, research shows that moving emotional processing to the prefrontal cortex allows us to regulate emotions more effectively (Feldman Barrett, 2017).

You can support this shift through practices such as:

• Journaling: Translating thoughts into language reduces emotional intensity and gives clarity.

• Therapy: Talking through your emotions with a qualified professional can help identify patterns.

• Meditation: Builds awareness of thought patterns and increases emotional resilience.

• Prayer or spiritual reflection: Can provide comfort, perspective, and emotional relief.

Robert Wright (2017) highlights that mindfulness—central to Buddhist philosophy—teaches us to witness our thoughts rather than become them. This distance allows anxiety to loosen its grip, restoring a sense of calm.

Journal Exercise to Reframe Anxiety

(Inspired by Dr Amen’s cognitive reframing & To Be Magnetic’s "Worst-Case Scenario" Workshop)

Anxiety thrives in vagueness. This exercise helps transform it into defined, manageable fear by engaging your logical prefrontal cortex to quiet your reactive limbic system.

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Name the Source
   "What exactly is making me anxious?"
   ➔ Example: "I disagreed with my partner about vacation plans last night"

2. Worst-Case Scenario
   "What’s the absolute worst that could happen?"
   ➔ "They’ll resent me, this will damage our relationship forever, and I’ll end up alone"

3. Probability Check
   "How likely is this (1-10)?"
   ➔ 1 out of 10 because:

   • Evidence Against the Fear:
     "We’ve disagreed before and recovered"
     "They said, ‘Let’s talk tomorrow’—not ‘I hate you’"

   • Neutral Explanations:
     "They might just need time to think"
     "Disagreements help relationships grow"

4. Empowerment Plan
   "What would I do if it happened?"
   ➔ Wait to talk until we’re both calm
   ➔ Start with: "I’ve been thinking about our talk—can we find a compromise?"
   ➔ Remember: My needs matter too

Why It Works:

• Forces anxiety out of abstraction and into solvable terms (Amen, 2022)

• Reduces uncertainty—the fuel of anxiety (To Be Magnetic, 2023)

• Activates problem-solving brain regions (prefrontal cortex)

By guiding your mind through this process, you engage your prefrontal cortex and quiet the reactive limbic system. You begin to manage your emotional state, rather than being managed by it.

Physiological Tools for Calming Anxiety

Anxiety is not just mental—it is physiological. The body needs to be addressed alongside the mind. One key player in this process is the vagus nerve, which forms part of the parasympathetic nervous system. When activated, the vagus nerve tells the body it is safe, triggering a cascade of calming responses.

“Vagal tone” refers to the activity of the vagus nerve and its influence on the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs rest and relaxation.

Anna Ferguson (2023), in The Vagus Nerve Reset, explains that gentle somatic practices, such as stretching, breathing, and humming, stimulate this nerve and encourage the body to exit a fight-or-flight state.

Box Breathing Technique:

• Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds

• Hold the breath for 4 seconds

• Exhale through the mouth for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds, then repeat

This exercise resets the nervous system and helps calm racing thoughts.

Other Vagal Tone Boosters:

1. Splashing cold water on your face
   Triggers the "dive reflex" – your body’s evolutionary response to slow heart rate and conserve oxygen when submerged (activates parasympathetic nervous system within seconds).

2. Singing or humming
   Vibrations from vocal cords directly stimulate the vagus nerve (which runs through your throat) – studies show humming at 120Hz optimally boosts heart rate variability (HRV).

3. Slow, diaphragmatic breathing
   Inhaling for 4 sec → exhaling for 6-8 sec creates pressure changes that mechanically massage the vagus nerve (signals brain to switch from fight-flight to rest-digest).

4. Gentle neck stretches
   Releases tension where vagus nerve passes through the carotid sheath (improves nerve signaling) while reducing muscle stiffness that feeds anxiety loops.

Dr Joe Dispenza’s "Heart Lock-In" Technique

(From Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself)

Practice Guide:

1. Focus on the Heart Area
   Place both hands over your heart and close your eyes.
   Rationale: Directs awareness to the heart’s electromagnetic field, which is 60 times stronger than the brain’s and influences overall physiological state.

2. 5-5-6 Breathing Rhythm

   • Inhale deeply for 5 seconds

   • Hold gently for 5 seconds

   • Exhale slowly for 6 seconds
     Key benefit: Synchronises heart rate variability (HRV) with respiratory rhythms, effectively "resetting" the stress response. This physiological alignment requires no expertise – just consistent practice.

3. Generate Elevated Emotions
   Recalling a memory of profound love or gratitude (focus on re-experiencing the emotion physically).
   Why this matters: Heart coherence isn’t achieved through visualisation alone – genuine emotional activation creates measurable changes in heart rhythm patterns (as demonstrated by HeartMath research).

4. Maintain for 10 Minutes
   Purpose: Sustained practice allows the autonomic nervous system to shift decisively from sympathetic (stress) to parasympathetic (restorative) dominance

How to Harness Anxiety for Good

We often think of anxiety as something negative, something to get rid of. But what if anxiety isn’t the problem at all? What if it’s actually full of potential?

Anxiety is your body’s way of keeping you safe. It’s a built-in alert system designed to help you stay aware, focused, and prepared. When we learn how to manage it, anxiety can become a powerful force for growth and clarity.

Neuroscientist Dr Daniel Amen explains that anxiety switches on the brain’s alert systems, helping you tune in to what’s important and respond more effectively to challenges. Dr Joe Dispenza also reminds us that stress itself isn’t harmful—it only becomes a problem when we get stuck in it, instead of using it to move forward.

In Why Buddhism is True, author Robert Wright describes anxiety as a natural part of having a mind that can imagine the future. Our brains are wired to think ahead and plan for what might go wrong—but this ability is also what allows us to prepare, adapt, and grow.

So rather than fighting anxiety, what if we started listening to it?

With simple tools like journaling, mindful breathing, meditation, and vagus nerve stimulation, we can learn to tune in rather than shut down. These practices help us stay grounded and respond with intention, rather than fear.

Anxiety, in healthy amounts, can be a motivator. It can push you to double-check your work, practise your speech one more time, or have that important conversation you've been avoiding. It can even bring clarity to your values by showing you what really matters.

The key is this: you don’t have to silence your anxiety—you just have to guide it.

When you learn to work with it instead of against it, anxiety becomes more than just manageable—it becomes meaningful.

The Bottom Line

You are not broken for feeling anxious. You are human. And like all emotions, anxiety offers you insight—if you learn to listen. Having tools at your disposal to help navigate these feelings can make all the difference in how you experience them.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Start small. Try box breathing today. Write a few lines in a journal. Observe a thought without following it. Each act is a step towards feeling more in control and more at peace.

Bookmark this page or print it out. Keep it nearby as a gentle reminder: you have tools, and you have power—even in anxious moments.

References

Amen, D.G. (2022) You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based on Your Brain Type. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Refresh.

Brooks, A. (2023) Modern Wisdom [Podcast]. Hosted by Chris Williamson. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisWillx (Accessed: 7 May 2025).

Dispenza, J. (2023) The Anatomy of Anxiety [Online]. Available at: https://drjoedispenza.com (Accessed: 14 May 2025).

Feldman Barrett, L. (2017) How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Ferguson, A. (2023) The Vagus Nerve Reset. London: Penguin Random House.

Healthdirect Australia (2023) Anxiety [Online]. Available at: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/anxiety (Accessed: 21 May 2025).

Wright, R. (2017) Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment. New York: Simon & Schuster.

To Be Magnetic (2023) Worst-Case Scenario Workshop [Online]. Available at: https://tobemagnetic.com (Accessed: 30 May 2025).