“What’s this weird buzzing I feel?”

There’s no doubt about it: our bodies can get downright chatty.`

Sometimes the physical symptoms of anxiety are obvious. I mean, it’s hard to miss a racing heart, tight chest, or your hands shaking like you’ve had one too many Americanos.

Other times, anxiety is much sneakier. You may notice strange physical sensations even when your mind is telling you that you’re fine.

While I can’t say whether that specific weird symptom you’ve been having is for sure anxiety, I can tell you 10 of the lesser-known ways it tries to show up.

1. Trouble Swallowing

Anxiety can cause the muscles in your throat and chest to tighten, making swallowing feel difficult or uncomfortable. Some people also described feeling like they have a lump in their throat when they’re stressed.

2. Cold Hands and Feet

When your nervous system detects a threat, your body prepares to respond. Changes in circulation can leave your hands and feet feeling unusually cold—even when the rest of your body isn’t.

3. An Urgent Need to Use the Bathroom

Ever suddenly need to pee or poop right before a stressful event? You’re not imagining it. A fight-or-flight response in your body can affect both your bladder and digestive system.

4. An Upset or Gassy Stomach

Your brain and gut are constantly communicating. When you’re anxious, digestion can be disrupted, contributing to nausea, bloating, stomach discomfort, diarrhea, or other digestive symptoms.

5. Tingling, Numbness, or “Buzzing”

Anxiety can sometimes create strange tingling, numbness, or buzzing sensations, particularly in the hands, feet, or face. Changes in breathing, muscle tension, and your body’s stress response can all play a role.

6. Feeling Shaky or Weak

Adrenaline prepares your body to act quickly. This can leave you trembling, shaky, or even feeling strangely weak despite there being no physical danger in front of you.

7. Things Feeling Unreal

Intense anxiety can sometimes cause derealization, where your surroundings feel strange or dreamlike, or depersonalization, where you feel disconnected from yourself.

These experiences can be frightening, but they can happen for some people when the nervous system becomes overwhelmed.  

8. Feeling Edgy or Irritable

Anxiety doesn’t always feel like fear.

When your nervous system has been running on high alert, ordinary noises, interruptions, requests, or inconveniences can suddenly feel like way too much. Sometimes irritability is one of the first signs that anxiety is building.

9. Trouble Catching Your Breath

Anxiety can change the way you breathe, causing faster or shallower breathing. This can create the uncomfortable sensation that you can’t quite get a satisfying breath—which can then make you feel even more anxious.

10. Muscle Tension and Exhaustion

When your body has been bracing for danger all day, it’s exhausting.

Chronic anxiety can contribute to tightness in the jaw, shoulders, back, and neck. Staying in a prolonged state of alertness can also leave you feeling drained, even if you got enough sleep.

What Should You Do When Anxiety Shows Up in Your Body?

First, remember that physical symptoms shouldn’t automatically be assumed to be anxiety. Many medical conditions can cause similar symptoms. New, severe, or persistent symptoms should be discussed with your doctor to rule out medical concerns.

Once you understand what’s happening physically, one helpful response to noticing anxiety in your body is surprisingly simple: name it.

Instead of immediately fighting the sensation, try just noticing it:

“I notice that my chest feels tight and my hands are shaking. I think I’m experiencing some anxiety right now.”

Then experiment with responding to your body with care rather than trying to force the feeling away. You might slow your breathing, take a walk, stretch tense muscles, ground yourself through your senses, or simply allow the wave of anxious energy to rise and fall.

If anxiety is regularly showing up for you, you don’t have to keep managing it alone. Anxiety therapy can help you understand your triggers and patterns, reduce the constant overthinking and learn new ways of responding when your nervous system goes into overdrive. 

If any of this sounds familiar, you can contact me to schedule a consultation and learn more about whether anxiety therapy might be a good fit for you.