Harnessing the Body’s Responses to Anxiety

Anxiety often feels like an invisible fence, trapping individuals in a confined mental space. The instinctual response is to avoid discomfort, backing off from situations that trigger fear or uncertainty. However, this is the exact opposite of what can help alleviate anxiety. One effective strategy involves intentionally stepping past the "invisible fence" that fear builds and confronting discomfort head-on. Through practices like mindful breathing, individuals can harness their body’s natural responses to stress and anxiety, fostering a sense of courage and emotional resilience.

One powerful technique for reducing anxiety involves "heart breathing," a practice that encourages individuals to imagine breathing through their heart. By visualizing the nostrils located within the heart space, individuals can focus on an expansion of breath as they inhale, and a soft release as they exhale. This approach shifts attention away from anxious thoughts and into the body, creating space for emotional balance. Breathing patterns, as explored by Stephen Porges, reveal that extending the duration of exhalation, rather than inhalation, can shift the body’s physiological state from one of anxiety to calm. Prolonged inhalation, especially through the vagus nerve, can heighten anxiety. By focusing on slow, regulated exhalation, the body can downregulate anxiety responses, preventing the spiral into panic.

When coping behaviors such as avoidance or distraction become problematic, it’s important to address the underlying issues. Avoidance behaviors, while initially relieving, often reinforce anxiety in the long run. A more productive approach is to make room for the anxiety—acknowledging its presence and actively working through it. This is particularly relevant for individuals whose anxiety stems from attachment trauma or difficult past experiences. When anxiety is linked to past trauma, it often manifests as a fear of abandonment or discomfort, driving the person to retreat. Breathing techniques that focus on observing the breath, without controlling it, can help individuals manage these fears and begin to expand their tolerance for discomfort.

Panic attacks are another common manifestation of anxiety, where the body becomes overwhelmed with physiological responses—racing heart, tight chest, or churning gut. A key to managing panic attacks is helping clients understand that these physical sensations, while distressing, are temporary and will change. Teaching individuals to localize and focus on the sensations in a nonjudgmental way can diminish the intensity of the panic. Redirecting their breath from hyperventilation to low, long exhalations engages the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing them to regain control.

For some clients, however, breathing techniques may exacerbate their anxiety, especially when they feel pressured to breathe a specific way. In such cases, shifting the focus to simple observation of the breath can be more effective. Instead of worrying about technique—such as breathing through the nose or diaphragm—the task becomes merely noticing the natural rhythm of the breath as it moves in and out. This shift in focus allows individuals to relax into a self-regulatory practice, reducing the pressure and increasing the sense of ease.

Courage plays a vital role in working through anxiety. As Kelly McGonigal points out, the ability to hold anxiety in one hand and still choose to move forward with action, values, and hope is a hallmark of courage. Practices like "heart breathing" nurture this inner strength by fostering a connection between breath and the heart. Imagining that breath nurtures the heart helps create a positive emotional feedback loop, turning anxiety into a sign that the heart is engaged and invested. This emotional connection can be further amplified through vocalization techniques, such as humming or singing out the sound “Ah,” which calms the body while cultivating feelings of bravery and openness.

Ultimately, anxiety treatment requires more than just managing symptoms. It involves shifting an individual’s relationship with anxiety, enabling them to understand its purpose and make meaningful choices in response to it. Foundational techniques like mindful breathing, expressive arts, and self-reflection provide individuals with the tools to ground themselves, build emotional resilience, and move from a state of fear to one of confidence.

Kathleen Byrne, MA, EdS, MEd, PCLC

References

Tatkin, S., PsyD, MFT., McGonigal, K., PhD., Hanson, R., PhD., Siegel, R., PsyD., Borysenko, J., PhD., & Buczynski, R., PhD. (2024) Expert Strategies for Working with Anxiety Training. National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine.