Anxiety: Understanding How It Works — and How to Find Calm Again

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal part of being human – it’s our body’s way of preparing us to face challenges or protect ourselves from danger. In small amounts, it can even be helpful, keeping us alert and motivated.

However, when anxiety becomes frequent, intense, or disproportionate to the situation, it can interfere with daily life, work, relationships, sleep, and overall wellbeing. This is when anxiety may be considered a disorder rather than a passing feeling.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in Australia, affecting roughly one in four people at some point in their lives.

At MindSure Psychology, we understand that anxiety can take many forms — from constant worrying and physical tension to sudden panic or avoidance of certain places or activities. Everyone experiences anxiety differently, and our goal is to help you understand what drives it and how to manage it effectively.

How Anxiety Shows Up

Anxiety can affect both the mind and body. Common experiences include:

• Persistent worry or a sense that something bad might happen (e.g. “what if”)

• Racing thoughts or difficulty concentrating

• Tightness in the chest, heart palpitations, or shortness of breath

• Restlessness, fidgeting, or feeling “on edge”

• Sleep difficulties, fatigue, or irritability

• Avoidance of people, places, or situations that trigger worry

Anxiety can also appear in specific forms such as:

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – constant worry about everyday matters

• Social Anxiety Disorder – excessive worry regarding social judgement or embarrassment

• Panic Disorder – sudden panic attacks with intense physical sensations

• Phobias – strong fear of specific objects or situations (like flying, heights, throwing up, or needles)

• Health Anxiety or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – repetitive, intrusive thoughts and behaviours aimed at reducing distress

Why Anxiety Happens

Anxiety arises from a combination of factors — biological, psychological, and environmental.

Past experiences, ongoing stress, or significant life changes can all play a role. In some cases, anxiety runs in families, reflecting both genetics and learned responses.

From a psychological perspective, anxiety often persists because of avoidance – the more we try to escape what we fear, the more powerful that fear can become over time. This understanding guides many evidence-based treatments aimed at breaking the cycle.

How Anxiety Can Be Treated

The good news is that anxiety is highly treatable. At MindSure Psychology, we use evidence-based therapies tailored to each person’s needs and goals. These may include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – the gold-standard, first-line treatment for anxiety. CBT helps you recognise and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and gradually face feared situations through exposure.

• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) – may help when anxiety is linked to distressing or traumatic memories, such as accidents or medical events. EMDR is well supported for trauma and shows emerging benefits for trauma-related anxiety.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – an evidence-based approach that builds psychological flexibility and helps you take actions aligned with your values, even in the presence of anxiety.

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) – grounding, mindfulness, and emotion regulation techniques drawn from DBT can support anxiety management and help with distress tolerance.

Therapy helps you understand what triggers your anxiety, build effective coping strategies, and gradually regain confidence in facing life’s challenges.

At MindSure Psychology

We approach anxiety with warmth, curiosity, and a commitment to your pace. Whether your anxiety feels overwhelming, shows up in specific situations, or has been part of your life for as long as you can remember, we’ll work collaboratively to help you understand it – and move beyond it.

Our goal is to support you in developing long-term skills for calm, clarity, and balance.

If you’re ready to begin managing anxiety with evidence-based support, you can book a confidential appointment today.