Anxiety Comes Knocking

11 Nov

Written By Charlie

Let’s Hear What It Has to Say

It’s Your Body Speaking

Anxiety is often labelled as overthinking or a bad habit we should be able to control. From a mind, body, and spirit perspective, anxiety isn’t a flaw. It’s your body trying to tell you something important.

So many people say to me, “I feel anxious and I don’t even know why.” And the thing is, there usually is a reason, it’s just not always obvious. Our bodies are very clever that way. The nervous system remembers what the mind may forget, quietly carrying both joy and pain, just as our heart holds onto memories of love and heartbreak. Even when life moves on, these experiences remain beneath the surface, gently shaping how we respond to the world today.

When the Body Learned to Stay Alert

If, earlier in life, you needed to be watchful, prepared, or emotionally self-reliant, your system adapted in intelligent ways. It learned that staying alert helped you cope, helped you belong, or helped you stay safe.

That learning doesn’t simply disappear. Later, when the present moment echoes something from the past - a sense of uncertainty, pressure, or emotional unpredictability - your body responds immediately. It’s not about real danger now; it’s responding to what it already knows.

This is why anxiety can surface even when life seems calm. The body responds faster than our thoughts, drawing on memories and experiences stored quietly beneath awareness.

Listening Instead of Fighting

When we stop treating anxiety as the enemy and start seeing it as information, something shifts.

Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?”
We begin asking:

What is this anxiety trying to protect?
What does it remind me of?
When did my body first learn this response?
What does that younger part of me need right now?

This gentle curiosity replaces self-criticism. Anxiety no longer has to shout to be heard, it begins to soften when it feels heard.

The Nervous System Softens When It Feels Seen

When you meet anxiety with compassion rather than resistance, the nervous system begins to settle. Grounding, breathwork, body awareness, emotional processing, and reconnecting with younger parts of yourself all help your system learn a new truth:

“I am safe now. I don’t need to stay on high alert.”

Over time, the body recalibrates, and the signal quiets.

Anxiety is not a fault in your personality.
It’s a doorway, leading you toward the parts of you that are still asking to be acknowledged, supported, and healed.

Gentle Practices

1. Checking In With Anxiety (0–10 Scale)

Pause and notice your body.

Ask yourself:

Where do I feel anxiety right now?
How strong is it?

Rate it:

0 = no anxiety at all
10 = extreme anxiety

There’s no need to change anything. Simply noticing and naming your level helps your nervous system feel recognised. Often, the number shifts naturally when awareness is present.

2. A Simple Grounding Breath

Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.