Anxiety manifests in many ways. Two major categories are cognitive symptoms, which are centered in the mind, and somatic symptoms, which are centered in the body.
Cognitive
- Ruminating thoughts
- Imagining scenarios
- Contingency planning
- Unable to describe what’s wrong
Somatic
- Tension
- Jittery, restless movements
- Headaches
- Knot in the stomach
- Sluggishness
You may have symptoms in one or both categories. Read on to find out how a “body-first” somatic approach to anxiety reduction differs from and complements a cognitive approach.