My name is Tomasz Kopec. I’ve worked as a GP in the NHS for over twenty years, and I often see people struggling with anxiety and panic attacks.

This is how I help them understand how anxiety works.

First, I ask my patients to think about the thing that makes them anxious while they’re sitting in front of me. Usually, the anxiety appears quite quickly. Then I ask them to rate it on a scale from 0 to 10.

Once they choose a number, I ask them to increase the anxiety slightly and move one point higher on the scale.

Most people are surprised by this request, but after a few moments they are usually able to do it.

Then I ask a simple question:

“How do you know the anxiety became stronger?”

Most people answer:
“I just feel it.”

Then I ask:
“But what exactly do you feel?”

At this point people often become unsure.

This is when something important becomes visible.

When we become anxious, we usually think about a person, situation, or past event. At the same time, the body reacts automatically.

People may notice:

  • a lump in the throat
  • tightness in the chest
  • a knot in the stomach
  • tension in the shoulders
  • trembling
  • pressure somewhere inside the body

As the physical tension increases, so does the feeling of anxiety.

What people are actually noticing is a change in the sensations inside their body that accompany the anxious thought.

This simple observation often gives people a completely new understanding of anxiety. They begin to realise that anxiety is not only a thought. It is also a body sensation.

The body and mind are constantly influencing each other.

The physical feeling related to anxiety is often caused by groups of muscles tightening automatically in response to anxious thinking. When this tension becomes chronic, it may eventually contribute to physical discomfort and pain.

The technique I use focuses on dissolving the body sensation itself. When the physical tension softens, the anxious thinking often decreases naturally as well.

This is why the story, although important emotionally, is not always the most important place to begin.

You can watch a short video explaining this process.

You can now try the free Dissolving Anxiety audio exercise below. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted for about 10 minutes. Please do not drive or operate machinery while listening to or practising this exercise.

If this way of understanding anxiety makes sense to you, and you found the exercise helpful, I’d like to invite you to complete the The Attention and Anxiety Assessment below.

It takes about 10 minutes and will show you how your attention naturally operates under stress. The results are free. No email address required, no payment, no strings. You are safe, just scroll down.

If the results of the assessment feel accurate, perhaps even more accurate than you expected, that isn’t a coincidence. The pattern it describes is real, and it influences far more of your daily life than most people realise.

If you’d like to explore it further, simply leave your email address. I’ll send you a free, personalised insight into how you could tackle your anxiety, together with a personalised four-week outline tailored to where you’re most likely to be starting from.