Living with Anxiety: Why You Can't Stop Worrying (And How to Start Healing)
- Deniss Pleiner, M.A.
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
If your mind never stops running through worst-case scenarios, you might be living with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Unlike situational anxiety that comes and goes, GAD is the constant companion that makes you worry about everything—work, relationships, health, finances, things that haven't even happened yet.
What GAD actually is: Chronic, excessive worry that's hard to control, often accompanied by physical symptoms like muscle tension, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and sleep problems. It's not about one specific fear—it's a general sense that something bad is always about to happen.
Why it keeps happening: GAD often develops when your nervous system learned early that the world isn't safe. Maybe you grew up in an unpredictable environment, experienced trauma, or had caregivers who were anxious themselves. Your brain adapted by staying constantly alert for danger.
What you can do:
1. Name the worry loop. When you catch yourself spiraling, say out loud: "This is my anxiety talking, not reality." Creating distance between you and the anxious thoughts helps you see them as symptoms, not facts.
2. Use Journaling. Set aside 15 minutes a day to let our your worries in writing. Write down every anxious thought. You'll feel relieved after letting the worries out and you can ways to challenge those thoughts one you know what they are.
3. Challenge the catastrophic thinking. Ask yourself: "What's the evidence this will actually happen?" and "What's more likely to happen?" GAD convinces you the worst outcome is inevitable—reality is usually far less dramatic.
4. Ground yourself in your body. GAD lives in your head. Bring yourself back to your body with progressive muscle relaxation: tense each muscle group for 5 seconds, then release. Notice the difference between tension and calm.
The deeper work: If you're struggling with constant anxiety it wont help to just about focus on managing worry—when you gain an understanding about what your anxiety is protecting you from you can heal the underlying beliefs driving it. Therapy can help you explore those roots and create lasting change.
If you found this helpful, subscribe to my newsletter for monthly insights on anxiety, healing, and self-worth delivered to your inbox. And if you're ready to go deeper, I offer free consultations to discuss how therapy might support you.
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