What Is the Role of the Nervous System in Chronic Anxiety?

Why Chronic Anxiety Isn’t Just “Overthinking”

If you’ve struggled with chronic anxiety, you’ve probably been told:
❌ “Just stop worrying so much.”
❌ “Try thinking more positively.”
❌ “You need to relax more.”

And if you’ve tried logic, willpower, or therapy techniques without success, you might be wondering, why can’t I just control my anxiety?

The answer? Because anxiety isn’t just in your mind, it’s in your nervous system.

Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) determines how safe or threatened you feel at any given moment. When it’s stuck in chronic survival mode, anxiety becomes a default state, no matter how much you try to “think your way out.”

The good news? Once you understand how your nervous system plays a role in anxiety, you can start working with it—not against it—to find lasting relief.

The Nervous System’s Role in Anxiety: Fight, Flight, Freeze & Fawn

Your nervous system’s primary job is to keep you alive. It constantly scans your environment for danger, whether real or perceived, and reacts automatically.

When it detects a threat, your autonomic nervous system activates one of four survival responses:

Fight (Defensive Activation)

How It Shows Up in Anxiety:
✔ Irritability, anger, or frustration over small things
✔ Feeling “on edge” or easily triggered
✔ Needing control over people or situations
✔ Physical tension (clenched jaw, tight fists)

Flight (Escaping the Threat)

How It Shows Up in Anxiety:
✔ Racing thoughts, restlessness, or constant worry
✔ Perfectionism or overworking to “outrun” stress
✔ Avoiding conflict, social situations, or responsibilities
✔ Feeling like you can’t slow down

Freeze (Shutdown Mode)

How It Shows Up in Anxiety:
✔ Feeling numb, foggy, or disconnected from reality
✔ Procrastination or difficulty making decisions
✔ Brain fog, exhaustion, or difficulty speaking up
✔ Zoning out or dissociating when overwhelmed

Fawn (People-Pleasing for Safety)

How It Shows Up in Anxiety:
✔ Over-apologizing or avoiding conflict at all costs
✔ Feeling responsible for other people’s emotions
✔ Struggling to set boundaries
✔ Constantly seeking reassurance from others

The problem? If your nervous system has been stuck in one of these states for too long, it stops recognizing safety—keeping you in a chronic cycle of anxiety.

Why Chronic Anxiety Develops: Nervous System Dysregulation

Your nervous system is designed to move fluidly between stress and relaxation throughout the day. But chronic anxiety happens when your system gets stuck in high alert mode and struggles to return to balance.

What causes this dysregulation?

• Past trauma or chronic stress (even from childhood)

• Lack of safety in early relationships (attachment wounds)

• Sensory overload (noise, screens, social pressure)

• Emotional suppression (not feeling safe to express emotions)

• Overwork or lack of rest (burnout = nervous system strain)

Instead of responding to real threats only, your nervous system starts reacting to everything—work emails, social plans, unexpected changes, as if they’re life-or-death situations.

And this is where chronic anxiety takes root.

How to Regulate Your Nervous System & Reduce Anxiety

The key to breaking free from chronic anxiety isn’t about stopping anxious thoughts, it’s about training your nervous system to feel safe again.

Here’s where to start:

1. Strengthen Vagal Tone for Nervous System Flexibility

Your vagus nerve helps shift you from fight-or-flight mode to relaxation mode. Strengthening it makes it easier to recover from stress.

Try This:
✔ Slow, deep breathing (exhales longer than inhales)
✔ Humming or singing (stimulates the vagus nerve)
✔ Cold exposure (splash cold water on your face)

2. Move Your Body to Release Stuck Stress

Chronic anxiety keeps stress trapped in your muscles and fascia. Gentle movement helps discharge that energy.

Try This:
✔ Shaking out your hands, arms, or legs (releases tension)
✔ Rhythmic movement (walking, rocking, or yoga)
✔ Stretching your jaw, shoulders, and neck (common areas of tension)

3. Practice Sensory Grounding to Signal Safety

Your nervous system responds to what it senses, so engaging the five senses can help shift you out of anxiety.

Try This:
✔ Hold something cold (ice pack, cold water)
✔ Wrap yourself in a weighted blanket (deep pressure = calming)
✔ Listen to soothing sounds (rainfall, soft music, a familiar voice)

4. Engage in Safe, Supportive Social Connection

We heal through co-regulation—our nervous system calms when we feel connected to safe, steady people.

Try This:
✔ Talk to a trusted friend (even a quick check-in helps)
✔ Spend time with a pet (animals regulate our nervous system)
✔ If direct connection feels overwhelming, try passive co-regulation (listening to a familiar, calming voice via podcast or audiobook)

5. Reduce Sensory & Information Overload

If your nervous system is constantly bombarded, it won’t have space to regulate.

Try This:
✔ Set boundaries around screens & notifications
✔ Limit exposure to draining environments (noise, clutter, overstimulation)
✔ Take 5-10 minute “sensory breaks” throughout your day

Anxiety Isn’t “All in Your Head” It’s in Your Nervous System

If you’ve been stuck in chronic anxiety, it’s not because you’re broken or “too sensitive.” Your nervous system has just been in survival mode for too long.

The good news? You can train your nervous system to recognize safety again.

Next Steps:
✅ Identify which nervous system response (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn) feels most familiar to you.
✅ Choose one regulation tool from this list and practice it daily.
✅ If anxiety feels overwhelming, consider working with a therapist trained in nervous system regulation.

Your body is always listening, let’s teach it that safety is possible.

To find out more about my services, click here: Anxiety Therapy

About the Author
Taylor Garff, M.Coun, LCPC, CMHC, LPC, is a licensed therapist with over 10 years of experience helping deep-feeling adults manage anxiety, overwhelm, and identity challenges. She is certified in HeartMath, Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), and breathwork facilitation. Taylor is the founder of Inner Heart Therapy, where she provides online therapy across multiple states.