What Your Body Might Be Telling You About Your Mental Health: Physical Symptoms of Stress and Anxiety

Not everything we carry shows up in our thoughts. Sometimes, it shows up in our bodies.

A clenched jaw. A tight chest. A stomach that flips for no clear reason. A fatigue that sleep doesn’t touch. These symptoms often get brushed off as “just stress,” but they’re actually meaningful signals.

Your body remembers what your mind tries to push through. It holds onto tension, fear, overwhelm, grief, even when you’re trying to stay calm or focused on the outside. And often, your body speaks first.

That racing heart before a difficult conversation? The knots in your stomach when you’re dreading something? The way your shoulders feel like bricks by the end of the day? These aren’t random. They’re messages. They are the actual physical symptoms of stress and anxiety, existing in your body.

In therapy, we often explore these physical cues alongside emotional ones. Because mental health isn’t just about thoughts and feelings, it’s about how you live in your body. How you breathe. How you rest. How you respond to stress, and whether you feel safe in your own skin.

Many people spend years disconnecting from their bodies, especially if they’ve experienced trauma or high levels of stress. Disconnection can feel protective, but it also cuts us off from vital information. When we start to gently tune in again, we can begin to understand what’s underneath the symptoms.

Therapy can help you rebuild that connection. Not in a “fix it fast” kind of way, but in a compassionate, curious way. We slow down. We notice what sensations show up when you’re overwhelmed, or triggered, or anxious. We explore what your body might be remembering and how you can begin to feel safer and more grounded.

This isn’t about diagnosing every ache or pain. It’s about noticing patterns. Building awareness. Trusting that your body is on your team and has been all along.

If you’ve been feeling “off” physically and haven’t found a clear answer, it might be time to look inward. Not to blame yourself, but to care for yourself more fully.

Your body is intuitive. And it deserves your attention.

If your body is holding more than it can carry, therapy can be a place to let some of it down. Reach out anytime we’re here to help you reconnect, release, and restore.