Your Body is Speaking: 8 Surprising Signs of Anxiety You Might Be Missing
You've been clenching your jaw again. Maybe you noticed it just now, reading this sentence. Or maybe you've been doing it all day without realizing.
This is just one of the ways anxiety can show up —quietly, and usually disguised as something else entirely. You might know the classic signs of anxiety (racing heart, sweating palms, that familiar feeling in your stomach), but there's a whole group of symptoms that fly under the radar, leaving you wondering why you feel "off" without understanding the real cause.
As a therapist, I've sat with countless clients who came in describing various physical symptoms or a vague sense that something just wasn't right. Sometimes these are connected with physical issues or perimenopause. But frequently the symptoms had more to do with anxiety and chronic stress. Understanding these hidden signs is the first step toward finding the right anxiety treatment and reclaiming a sense of calm.
Understanding Anxiety vs Feeling Nervous: What's the Difference?
Before we dive into the specific signs, it's helpful to understand what we're actually talking about. Many people ask me about anxiety vs nervous feelings—and it's an important distinction. Being nervous is a normal, temporary response to a specific situation, like a job interview or first date. It typically passes once the situation is over.
Anxiety, on the other hand, tends to be more long-lasting and pervasive. It can show up without a clear trigger, last longer than the situation calls for, and interfere with your daily life. For example, noticing a general sense of dread for no apparent reason. Your nervous system is so complex, with the stress response touching nearly every system in your body. When anxiety becomes chronic, your body activates its subconscious survival mechanisms repeatedly—helpful when facing actual danger, but exhausting when triggered by frequent stress like work deadlines, relationship concerns, or simply the overwhelm of modern life.
The challenge is that these responses can manifest differently in each person, and many show up in ways we don't immediately connect to anxiety. Here are some examples of the most commonly overlooked signs:
1. Digestive Issues That Come and Go
Your gut and your brain are in constant communication through what scientists call the "gut-brain axis." When your nervous system is stressed (anxious) it sends signals to your digestive system to prepare you to fight or run. Digestion slows and blood is sent away from your GI system to larger muscle groups. This can lead to frequent stomachaches, unexplained nausea, changes in appetite, or irregular bowel movements.
Many of my clients have spent months (sometimes years) dealing with what they assumed were purely physical digestive problems, only to find significant improvement once we addressed their underlying anxiety. If you've been dealing with ongoing digestive issues and medical tests haven't revealed a clear cause, anxiety might be a missing piece of the puzzle.
What to notice: Pay attention to whether your digestive symptoms worsen during stressful periods or before anxiety-provoking events.
2. The Fog That Won't Lift: Cognitive Symptoms
"Brain fog" is one of those terms that gets thrown around frequently, but when you're experiencing it, there's nothing vague about the impact. Anxiety can significantly affect your cognitive function, leading to difficulty concentrating, trouble making decisions, memory problems, or a feeling that your thoughts are moving through molasses.
This happens because anxiety consumes significant mental resources. When your brain is busy monitoring for threats and managing stress responses, there's less capacity available for other cognitive tasks. It's not that you're losing your edge—your brain is simply overwhelmed.
What to notice: Do you find yourself rereading the same paragraph multiple times? Forgetting why you walked into a room more frequently? Having trouble following conversations?
3. Physical Symptoms That Mimic Medical Emergencies
One of the scariest aspects of anxiety is how it can create intense physical sensations that seem to come out of nowhere. Two of the most common questions about anxiety are "can anxiety cause shortness of breath?" and “can anxiety cause pain in the chest?” The answer to both is yes—and these symptoms can be so convincing that many people end up in the emergency room, certain they're having a heart attack.
When anxiety happens, your body floods with stress hormones that can cause your breathing to become rapid and shallow (hyperventilation), creating that sensation of not getting enough air. So, can anxiety cause dizziness? Absolutely. When you're breathing rapidly, it changes the carbon dioxide levels in your blood, which can lead to lightheadedness, dizziness, tingling in your extremities, and even a sense of unreality or detachment.
The chest pain associated with anxiety is also very real. It often results from muscle tension in the chest wall, rapid breathing, or heightened awareness of your heartbeat. While it feels different from heart attack pain (which typically involves pressure, radiates to the arm or jaw, and comes with other symptoms), it's still genuinely uncomfortable and understandably alarming. If you’re having chest pain and don’t know if it’s anxiety or heart related issues, please go to the ER!
What to notice: Do these symptoms appear during or after stressful periods? Do they come in waves or clusters? Does worrying about them make them worse? If you've had medical tests that ruled out heart or lung problems, anxiety may be the issue. However, always consult with your healthcare provider first to rule out physical causes—having that peace of mind is just as important.
4. Sleep Changes Beyond Insomnia
Most folks know anxiety can cause insomnia, but the relationship between anxiety and sleep is more nuanced than many realize. You might actually be sleeping too much, using sleep as an escape from anxious feelings. Or you might fall asleep easily but wake frequently throughout the night, never quite reaching deep, restorative sleep.
Some people describe feeling exhausted even after a full night's sleep because the quality of that sleep is compromised by underlying tension and stress hormones circulating through their system.
What to notice: Track not just how many hours you sleep, but how you feel when you wake up. Are you refreshed or already drained? Do you feel the need to sleep at unusual times?
5. Physical Tension You've Normalized
Here's where we circle back to that jaw clenching. Many people carry chronic physical tension—in their jaw, shoulders, neck, or back—that they've simply learned to live with. They might not even realize how much tension they're holding until someone points it out or they experience relief.
This tension is your body's way of preparing for action, an aspect of the fight-or-flight response. But when we're chronically anxious, we never fully release that preparation, leading to persistent muscle tightness, tension headaches, or even temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems.
What to notice: Take a moment right now to scan your body. Are your shoulders raised? Is your jaw tight? Are you making fists or curling your toes?
6. Irritability and Low Frustration Tolerance
When we think of anxiety, we usually picture someone who seems nervous or worried. But anxiety often masquerades as irritability, impatience, or a short fuse. You might find yourself snapping at loved ones, feeling disproportionately frustrated by minor inconveniences, or experiencing a general sense of edginess.
This happens because anxiety keeps your nervous system in a heightened state. You're already operating closer to your threshold, so it takes less to push you over the edge. What might normally be a minor annoyance becomes overwhelming when you're already managing significant internal stress.
What to notice: Has anyone commented that you seem more irritable lately? Do small things set you off in ways that surprise even you? This emotional reactivity might be anxiety in disguise.
7. Avoidance Patterns and the Confusion of Anxiety Versus Intuition
Avoidance is a hallmark of anxiety, but it's not always obvious. Some people avoid clear triggers like flying or social events. But anxiety-driven avoidance can be much subtler—procrastinating on important tasks, declining invitations with vague excuses, letting emails pile up, or finding reasons not to pursue opportunities.
One of the trickiest aspects of this pattern is distinguishing anxiety versus intuition. How do you know if you're avoiding something because of anxiety or because your gut is genuinely telling you it's not right for you? This is a question I work through with clients frequently, and here's what I've observed: anxiety typically feels frantic and focused on worst-case scenarios. It says "what if everything goes wrong?" Intuition, on the other hand, usually feels calmer and more certain, even if it's uncomfortable. It says "this doesn't feel right for me" without the accompanying spiral of fearful thoughts.
These patterns often feel like laziness, lack of motivation, or simple preference. But when avoidance is driven by anxiety, there's usually an underlying fear at play: fear of failure, judgment, disappointment, or even success and the changes it might bring.
What to notice: Are there areas of your life where you consistently make excuses or find reasons to delay? What feelings come up when you think about tackling those avoided tasks or situations? Does the thought create a cascade of "what if" worries, or a quiet sense of "this isn't for me"?
8. Understanding: Are Anxiety and Panic Attacks the Same?
This is another common question that deserves clarification. While related, anxiety and panic attacks are not quite the same thing, though they exist on the same spectrum.
Anxiety tends to build gradually and can persist for extended periods—hours, days, or even longer. It's often connected to worry about future events or ongoing stressors. A panic attack, on the other hand, comes on suddenly and intensely, typically peaking within 10 minutes. During a panic attack, you might experience severe anxiety - pain in chest, intense fear, shortness of breath, sweating, trembling, and a sense of impending doom or losing control. It’s an awful experience.
Panic attacks can occur unexpectedly or be triggered by specific situations. The physical symptoms are often so intense that people experiencing their first panic attack frequently believe they're having a medical emergency. The good news is that both generalized anxiety and panic attacks are highly treatable, and effective anxiety attack treatment options are available.
What to notice: Does your anxiety build slowly or strike suddenly? Does it peak and then subside, or does it linger?
What This Means for You
If you're recognizing yourself in several of these signs, I want you to know you’re not alone. These symptoms aren't character flaws or signs of weakness—they're your body and mind's way of signaling that something needs attention.
The good news is that anxiety, even when it's been hiding in plain sight for years, is highly treatable. There are evidence-based approaches like EMDR, mindfulness practices, somatic therapies, and when appropriate, medication that can help you find relief. The first step is simply recognizing what you're dealing with.
Moving Forward: How to Reduce Nervousness and Anxiety
Start by noticing. For the next week, pay gentle attention to the patterns we've discussed. You might keep a simple journal noting when these symptoms appear and what's happening in your life at those times. One key is not to judge yourself, that will make anxiety worse. Just notice like an outside observer.
Learning how to reduce nervousness and anxiety often begins with these foundational practices:
Practice grounding techniques. When you notice anxiety rising, try the 5-4-3-2-1 method: identify 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. This brings you back to the present moment.
Focus on your breath. Anxiety can cause shortness of breath and other physical symptoms. Slow, deliberate breathing can signal safety to your nervous system. Try breathing in for four counts, holding for four, and exhaling for six. It’s not about how deep you breathe, it’s about how regulated your breath is.
Move your body. Physical activity helps process stress hormones and release tension. Even a 10-minute walk can make a difference.
Limit stimulants. I love a good coffee! But caffeine and other stimulants can amplify anxiety symptoms, particularly the physical ones like rapid heartbeat and jitteriness. Coffee has a 12 hour half-life, meaning after 12 hours, half of it is still in your body! So try cutting it out or limiting how late in the day you drink it for a month just to see what happens.
Evaluate other substances. So many folks use marijuana to help them fall asleep. But regular use over time (specifically THC) is strongly associated with developing an anxiety disorder.
Create boundaries with worry. This one sounds hokey but it’s been life-changing for some of my clients. Instead of trying to stop anxious thoughts entirely, designate a specific "worry time" each day. When worries arise outside that time, gently remind yourself you'll address them during your designated “worry time.” This way you’re able to address real issues and dedicate time to problem solving but it doesn’t get to dominate your whole day.
A Final Thought
While these self-care strategies can be helpful, professional anxiety treatment (or phobia and panic attack treatment) is often the most effective path forward. If you’re experiencing any of these signs, contact me for a free consultation call to get more information. I specialize in working with stress, anxiety and trauma and you deserve a safe supportive environment to explore what you’re experiencing. Together we can explore what’s happening and develop a personalized approach to help you feel more like yourself again.
Therapy provides not just a space to understand your anxiety but also evidence based tools tailored to your specific needs—approaches like EMDR therapy, mindfulness practices, or somatic approaches that have strong research support.
You’re not broken and anxiety doesn’t mean you can’t handle life. It's a sign that your nervous system may be stuck on over-drive and could use some help taking the pressure off the gas pedal.
