You're not alone

Feeling anxious

When worry won't leave you alone.

You're not alone

A racing mind, a tight chest, the 'what if' loop that won't quit, this is one of the most common things people carry, and one of the most treatable. Anxiety isn't a flaw in you. It's a nervous system stuck in alarm, and there are real ways to settle it.

What can help

• Slow the exhale. Breathe in for four, out for six or more. A long exhale tells your body the threat has passed.
• Name it. 'This is anxiety, not danger.' Putting words to it takes some of its power.
• Get back into your body and the present, feet on the floor, five things you can see. Anxiety lives in the future; your senses live in now.
• Cut the fuel where you can, less caffeine, less doom-scrolling. Both feed the alarm.
• If worry is taking over daily life, talk to your GP or call 1737. This is common and help works.