by Anna McChesney, CEO, LPC, MT-BC

Many people think anxiety only lives in the mind. But anxiety often shows up in the body first.

Sometimes it looks like tight shoulders, headaches, stomach issues, jaw clenching, exhaustion, racing heartbeat, trouble sleeping, or feeling constantly on edge. Sometimes people live with physical symptoms for months before realizing stress and anxiety may be connected.

You may tell yourself:
“I’m just tired.”
“I just need a vacation.”
“I need to get better at handling stress.”

But when the nervous system stays activated for long periods of time, the body often begins carrying the weight of it.

Anxiety can look like:

• Difficulty relaxing
• Feeling tense even during quiet moments
• Digestive discomfort
• Restlessness
• Feeling overstimulated
• Trouble concentrating
• Feeling emotionally reactive
• Panic symptoms
• Chronic fatigue
• Feeling disconnected from yourself

For adults balancing work, caregiving, relationships, parenting, or constant demands, stress can slowly build until the body no longer feels calm or settled. This is one reason many people are drawn to creative and expressive therapies. Creative therapies do not focus only on talking through symptoms. They can also help people reconnect with their bodies, emotions, and nervous systems in more gentle and grounding ways.

Art therapy, music therapy, expressive arts therapy, and other creative approaches can support emotional regulation, stress reduction, and self-awareness while helping people process experiences that may be difficult to explain with words alone.

Sometimes healing begins not by “thinking harder,” but by slowing down enough to notice what your body has been trying to communicate.

You do not need to be creative, artistic, or musical to participate. Many adults simply find that creative therapies feel less clinical and more approachable especially when anxiety already makes everyday life feel overwhelming. At The Center for Creative Healing, we work with adults experiencing anxiety, stress, burnout, depression, and life transitions through counseling and creative therapies tailored to each person’s needs.

We offer appointments in North Chesterfield, Richmond, and Charlottesville, including daytime availability that may fit more easily into busy schedules.

If anxiety has been showing up in your body lately, support is available.