What Is Anxiety?

If you find yourself frequently experiencing extreme bouts of fear, worry, or rumination; feeling terror or fear that comes on suddenly (panic attacks); experiencing physical sensations such as racing heart, quickened breathing, dizziness, or nausea when you aren’t physically sick; or you find yourself doing things to try to counteract or avoid situations that appear to lead to anxiety (e.g., not leaving the house, avoiding activities or public places), you may be struggling with anxiety. There is no standard definition of anxiety that describes all experience, but if you’re experiencing some of the things mentioned above, you may be feeling anxiety.

What You Might Be Experiencing

Symptoms of Anxiety

    • Frequent and intense bouts of fear, worry, or rumination
    • Physical symptoms such as hyperventilation, racing heart, sweating, or nausea
    • A sense of impending danger or doom
    • Trouble sleeping or eating
    • Urges to avoid things that appear to trigger anxiety
    • Irritability or low mood
    • Difficulty concentrating
Anxiety

What You Might Be Experiencing

    • Frequent and intense bouts of fear, worry, or rumination
    • Physical symptoms such as hyperventilation, racing heart, sweating, or nausea
    • A sense of impending danger or doom
    • Trouble sleeping or eating
    • Urges to avoid things that appear to trigger anxiety
    • Irritability or low mood
    • Difficulty concentrating

You Are Not Alone

Anxiety disorders are seen worldwide, and they are incredibly common. They are estimated to affect nearly 40 million people in America each year, roughly 19% of the population. Prevalence in other countries is similar.

People of all ages and demographic backgrounds can experience habitual anxiety. Nearly 25% of American children experience anxiety at some point in their childhood, making anxiety issues nearly as common in children as in adults. Both men and women struggle with anxiety, with women experiencing anxiety slightly more than men.

Everyone experiences feelings of fear, anxiety, and worry at times, but those who are struggling with habitual anxiety find it recurring, and impacting their everyday life. They may avoid places or situations that appear to make anxiety worse, resulting in a smaller, more limited life.

Concern
Anxiety

What Can I Do About It? – Treatment for Anxiety

Traditional treatment for anxiety most often includes psychotherapy, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy or exposure therapy, and in some cases mindfulness practices or medication. However, traditional treatment for anxiety is not as effective as we’d wish it to be.

Thankfully, there are newer, less traditional approaches that are incredibly effective in treating anxiety. The No-Willpower Approach that I outline in my bestselling book, The Little Book of Big Change: The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit has helped countless people find lasting freedom from all forms of anxiety.

The No-Willpower Approach goes deeper than mindfulness practices and other treatments for anxiety. The No-Willpower Approach is an insight-based approach that helps you see yourself and your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a radically new way. It helps you truly see what anxiety is, rather than what our mind tells us it is.

Anxiety Is A Changeable Habit –How to Deal with Anxiety

Although many people struggle with habitual anxiety, it is very changeable. You do not need to “cope” with, or “manage” anxiety long-term and you do not need to make your life small by avoiding situations that appear to trigger anxiety. No matter how long or how often you’ve been experiencing anxiety, and no matter what form it takes (e.g., panic attacks, generalized anxiety, phobias, etc.), there is enormous hope for complete freedom from anxiety.

Although periods of acute stress can pave the way for habitual anxiety, anxiety is not about the circumstances of your life; it’s about a few simple misunderstandings about how our thoughts, feelings, and habits truly work. Freedom comes from the inside-out, from seeing yourself, your thoughts and feelings, and what anxiety is in a brand new way.

Anxiety Is A Changeable Habit

Hi, I’m Amy

I struggled with anxiety in many forms, from generalized anxiety to worry, to panic attacks and intrusive thoughts, for most of my life. I was told by many well-meaning professionals that I would likely struggle with this forever; that I could learn to cope, but that true freedom from anxiety was unlikely. I was told that this habit might always come back when I was feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

Thankfully, nothing could be further from the truth today. I have been completely free of debilitating worry for many years with no effort or coping necessary. In that time, I’ve shared what helped me find freedom from anxiety with people all over the world in my books, videos, online school, and my podcast, Changeable.

I’ve trained over 70 coaches to be experts in the no-willpower paradigm through my Change Coach Training Program. I’ve been a regularly featured expert on The Steve Harvey Show and Oprah.com, as well as in The Wall Street Journal and Self magazine.

Dr Amy Johnson

REAL PEOPLE, REAL CHANGE

Missy

Missy

“Before finding Amy, I struggled with anxiety and despair that manifested as chronic hives and facial swelling.

When I came to The Little School of Big Change, I felt a sense of desperation to end my anxiety and despair about my chronic hives and facial swelling. I had allowed my once-very-robust life to become very small by avoiding people and situations that seemed to trigger anxiety. What I got from this understanding is more than I ever bargained for. I simply wanted relief, but what I got was freedom and causeless joy and peace. The transformation had nothing to do with learning how to get rid of what I hated; instead it had everything to do with discovering who I really am. I am forever grateful for the LSBC for helping me uncover what was in me all along.”

Rebecca

Rebecca

“I was extremely anxious about everything in life, in particular around my physical health, my job, and my ‘lack’ of physical & mental abilities to perform it, my potential lack of financial security, constant ruminating over a person who abandoned me during my cancer, and then Covid hit!

Through The Little School of Big Change, I was able to step back and see what anxiety is. ALL of my issues were solely due to my thoughts, and how the brain had created the chaos simply as a way to protect me. I had glimpses of my inner wisdom while going through cancer. Amy and The Little School of Big Change were able to help me see what that was, and that it was and is ALWAYS in me. What a relief!”

Allan

Allan

“I had what I thought was a sort of free-floating anxiety. An on-off fear and insecurity of what seemed like everything. I would suddenly fly into rages and break things. Or I felt that I generally just lacked confidence in most things.

Since working with Amy and The Little School of Big Change, anger and frustration is more or less non-existent. The constant worry and fear of whether I can do something just isn’t there. Things just happen. Occasionally I get caught in thought. We all do, don’t we? It soon fizzles out though.”

What Can I Do To Change My Anxiety?

Free worry and anxiety webinar
  • Presents a new paradigm for freedom from anxiety
  • Shares how anxiety is attempting to wake you up to your innate wisdom and health (yes, really!)
  • 90 minutes long

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No-Willpower Approach Habits Course

I overcame anxiety and I’ll show you how!

  • Digital course – go at your own pace
  • This is a perfect course for those struggling with anxiety
  • Learn the brain-based reason we have habits, and how they are illustrations of our innate wisdom
  • More than an hour of video content

SIGN ME UP

A smiling man studying at a laptop
  • LSBC Self-Study – go through Dr. Amy’s flagship course at your own pace
  • 19 video lessons that bring this paradigm to life
  • 1000s of students have found freedom from habits including anxiety
  • Option to upgrade to guided course

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The Little School of Big Change

About The Little School of Big Change

My bestselling book, The Little Book of Big Change, and my online school, The Little School of Big Change, have helped tens of thousands of people in 50+ countries find their own freedom from binge eating and other habits without therapy, revisiting the past, medication, or willpower.

The Little School of Big Change is a highly supportive 6-week course that shares a groundbreaking new paradigm in mental health that has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world to tap into their natural health and resilience.

The school helps you see yourself and your psychology in a radically new way—a way that leads to freedom from what holds you back.

START YOUR CHANGE

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