Why Your Anxiety Isn’t Just in Your Head
If you’ve ever felt like your anxiety “comes out of nowhere,” you’re not alone. Many people assume anxiety is purely psychological — a mindset issue, a mental weakness, or a chemical imbalance that needs fixing.
But anxiety is also deeply physiological. And for many of the high-performing professionals I work with, the key to managing anxiety starts not with mindset, but with the nervous system.
The Science: Meet Your Autonomic Nervous System
Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls everything from your heart rate and breathing to your digestion and stress response. It has two main branches:
Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) — your “fight or flight” mode
Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) — your “rest and digest” mode
Anxiety often happens when your sympathetic system is stuck in overdrive — constantly scanning for danger, even when none is present.
Why You Might Be Stuck in Fight or Flight
Common causes of chronic nervous system dysregulation include:
Poor sleep (or overstimulating sleep habits — think phone in bed)
Caffeine overload
Blood sugar crashes from processed foods
Overwork with no recovery time
Past trauma or attachment injuries
Unprocessed chronic stress
These are physiological stressors — not character flaws.
What I Look at in My Practice
Instead of jumping straight to medication, I often look at:
Cortisol patterns (your stress hormone)
Nutrient deficiencies (like magnesium, B vitamins, and omega-3s)
Sleep quality
Nervous system tone (based on HRV, breathing patterns, and more)
This is where tools like Function Health can help us get a detailed snapshot of your internal landscape — so we’re not guessing.
How You Can Support Your Nervous System Naturally
Here are a few simple but powerful ways to regulate your nervous system:
Breathwork: Try box breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) for 3–5 minutes
Cold exposure: Splash your face with cold water or try a cold shower to activate the vagus nerve
Sunlight in the morning: Helps set your cortisol rhythm and boost mood
Cut caffeine by 2 PM: So your system has time to wind down
Eat protein + fat with carbs: Keeps blood sugar stable = fewer mood crashes
These aren’t substitutes for therapy or medication when needed — but they create the physiological conditions for calm.
When to Consider Professional Help
If you’ve tried lifestyle changes but still feel anxious, wired, or worn down, it may be time for deeper support. That could mean:
A medication evaluation
A Function Health review to look at labs that affect mood and focus
A plan to rebalance your nervous system through targeted lifestyle shifts, supplements, and therapy
You’re Not Broken — Your System Is Just Stuck
Anxiety doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. Often, it means your body has been running on red alert for too long — and it's time to restore balance.
If you're curious about how nervous system regulation could support your mental health, I’d be honored to help.
Marcus Nielson, PMHNP-BC
Founder, Helix Psychiatry
Specializing in personalized, lifestyle-aligned psychiatric care
