When the world seems upside down: Managing Anxiety in Uncertain Times
Written by: Lori Howard, MA, LMFT #126074
March 15th, 2025
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“I’m exhausted. I’m up every night at 2 am and don’t know why. I’m worried about my kids and the nation and the wars raging in the world. It’s like everything is upside down and I can’t seem to turn off my brain.”
A client was recently sharing her angst about what brought her to see me, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She was expressing the thoughts that almost everyone I know has been having for the last few years.
“What’s happening to the world right now? Has everyone gone crazy? At first it was COVID. Now it’s like life will never go back to being normal.”
The feeling that might be waking you up at night is anxiety. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, uneasiness or dread that can be a normal reaction to stress. It is normal to experience anxiety when you are taking a test or speaking in public. Anxiety, however, can become a problem when it starts to interfere with your daily life - like in the case of my client.
If you have been struggling with these types of thoughts that are affecting you in a somatic way - your heart beating quickly, waking up at night feeling dread, stomach pain, difficulty catching your breath - you are not alone. This is anxiety and it is trying to tell you something.
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When working with an anxious client, I teach them that they are not anxiety. Anxiety is something that is happening to them. Anxiety is that mean aunt (or whoever you decide it to be) who shows up and tells you to be worried about something. When anxiety shows up we listen (because it can feel so uncomfortable in our body).
I let my clients know that they can talk back to anxiety. The conversation may go something like this:
“Hello anxiety, I can tell something is going on because my nervous system is alerting me that I’m worried about something. I know it’s normal to be worried about this, and it’s okay that I feel this way. I know that in the past, when X happened (and think of a real example here), I was anxious, but I did what I needed to do, and it turned out okay.”
When we talk back to our anxiety, and continue the task at hand, we are reminding ourselves that we can do this hard thing. That exposure will help ease the anxiety the next time our nervous system gets activated.
There are times when talking back doesn’t diminish our anxiety. In those instances, here are some strategies to consider:
Reduce the amount of exposure you have to the news and social media and consider a permanent time out while your nervous system is activated
Exercise - it will redirect that nervous energy
Reality Check - On a scale of 1-10, ask yourself if the thing that you are anxious about is likely to happen. And then follow up with wondering if you are overly worried about it
Share your anxiety with a therapist or someone who can help
If you know you are an anxious person consider implementing these tools to help ward off anxiety’s visits:
Exercise regularly
Incorporate meditation/breath work into your daily life
Practice good sleep hygiene
Eat a balanced diet
Limit alcohol consumption
Drink caffeine in moderation
Consider therapeutic interventions
No one wants to live with anxiety, but knowing there are tools to use can help when you get that unwanted visit from anxiety.
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Lori Howard, MA, LMFT #126074
Lori T. Howard is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in grief and loss. You can reach her by visiting her profile below or through her website: Lorithoward.com.
