Anxiety Management

05/25/2026

Anxiety is a reaction to perceived stress.

Anxiety can help us prepare for a future situation by running through potential scenarios and protect us from danger by increasing alertness.

While anxiety is very important for us to stay safe, excessive anxiety can cause disruption in life.

Three Elements of Anxiety

  • Cognitive Anxiety

  • Somatic Anxiety

  • Sense of Control

Cognitive Anxiety

Cognitive anxiety refers to the mind process of anxiety that can be worries, what-if thoughts, rumination, apprehension, self-focused attention, and others.

Somatic Anxiety

Somatic anxiety refers to the body process of anxiety that can be experienced as body tension, shaking, sweating, change of breath, increased heart rate, nausea, headache, and others.

Sense of Control

As anxiety can interpret unknown and uncertainty as perceived danger or stress, anxiety can try to fill in the gap by creating stories. For example, we cannot read other's minds, so we may be worried about what a friend is thinking about us. The more you see things are out of control, the more anxiety you may experience. That is why it is important to focus on what you are in charge of to regulate anxiety.


References

Horn, T. S., & Smith, A. L. (Eds.). (2019). Advances in sport and exercise psychology (4th ed.). Human Kinetics.

Weinberg, R. S. & Gould, D. (2019). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology (7th ed.). Human Kinetics.

Download the Worksheet

Upon clicking the button above, you will be directed to payhip to download the worksheets.

This packet includes:

  • Anxiety Information Sheet

  • Anxiety Assessment Sheet

  • Anxiety Coping Ideas

  • Body Awareness Sheet



Disclaimer for Use with Blogs

This blog is made for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical, licensed professional counseling, or other healthcare advice.

The information in this blog is not intended to (i) replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, (ii) create a provider-patient relationship or a collaborative relationship, or (iii) create a duty for us to follow up with you.

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