Anxiety
Understanding your anxiety cycle
A simple look at the thought–feeling–behaviour loop that keeps anxiety stuck, and where you can step in to make a change.
3 min read
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Anxiety often runs on a loop with three parts:
- 1. A thought: 'what if this goes wrong?'
- 2. A feeling: tight chest, racing heart, dread.
- 3. A behaviour: you avoid it, check it, or seek reassurance.
The behaviour brings quick relief. That relief makes the thought feel more true next time, so the loop repeats, often getting stronger.
Where to start:
You don't need to fix the whole loop at once. Try one of these:
Notice the thought. Just naming it, 'There's that thought again', creates space.
Adjust behaviour, slightly. Delay the reassurance-seeking by 10 minutes. Stay a little longer than feels uncomfortable.
Next time anxiety arises, try this:
What was the thought?
What did I feel and where?
What did I do next?
Seeing the pattern is often the first step to loosening it.