Kinds of anxiety

Feeling anxious now and then is a normal part of life. A little anxiety can push you to prepare, stay safe and take care of what matters.

It often looks like

• Nerves before a big day, then relief afterwards
• Worry that leads to a useful action, like making a plan
• Worry you can put aside to sleep, work or enjoy time with others

Anxiety may need more support when it doesn’t go away, gets worse over time, or gets in the way of school, work, sleep or relationships.

It often looks like

• Avoiding places, people or tasks because of fear
• Body feelings like a racing heart, tight muscles or an upset stomach that keep coming back
• Worry on most days, about many things, that is hard to stop

Big changes and uncertainty are common triggers for anxiety, at any age. For children, starting a new school or moving house can bring on worry. For adults, it might be a new job, a loss or a new baby.

What tends to help

• Give yourself time. Feeling unsettled at first is normal.
• Keep some routines the same, like bedtime and meals.
• Prepare ahead: visit the new place, ask questions, make a plan.
• Stay in touch with people who know you well.

Worry about family well-being is very common for parents. Wanting to protect your child is natural. But children notice our anxiety, and managing your own worry is one of the best ways to help them too.

It can feel like

• Checking on them, or their phone, over and over
• Feeling like you are never doing enough
• Finding it hard to let them try new things
• Imagining the worst when your child is late

What tends to help (for you and your child)

• Listen carefully to your child’s worries without dismissing them.
• Explain that anxiety is like a wave: it builds up, then passes.
• Solve problems together, and prepare them for big changes.
• Keep daily routines steady.
• Try not to become overprotective. Small, brave steps help children grow.
• Breathe slowly together, or try a “worry box” for little ones.

Money is one of the most common things people worry about. Worrying about money can affect your mental wellbeing, and feeling low or anxious can make money harder to manage. The two often feed each other.

It can feel like

• A knot in your stomach when a bill or bank alert arrives
• Feeling low or losing confidence in yourself
• Guilt or shame about not earning “enough”
• Lying awake doing sums in your head

It can look like

• Leaving letters and bills unopened
• Putting off asking for advice
• Skipping meals or staying home to save money, and feeling more alone
• Spending to cheer yourself up

What tends to help

• Make a simple budget. Seeing money in and out can help you feel more in control.
• Get free money or debt advice early. Problems are easier to fix sooner.
• Talk to your lender or landlord if you are struggling to pay.
• Break big money problems into small next steps.
• Be kind to yourself and focus on what you can control.
• Talk to someone you trust about it.

Family well-being is one of the most common things people worry about. You might worry about a parent who is sick, parents who argue, money trouble at home, or an aging parent you care for. Because you love them, it can be hard to switch off.

It can feel like

• Being on edge at home, waiting for the next argument
• Feeling responsible for fixing things
• Getting irritable, snappy or withdrawn
• Worry that follows you to school or work

Common examples

• A brother or sister who is struggling
• A parent’s or grandparent’s health
• Caring for a family member
• Parents separating or fighting

What tends to help

• Talk openly about how you feel, or write it down if talking is hard.
• If a talk gets heated, take time out and come back when everyone is calmer.
• Set gentle limits on what you can realistically help with.
• Keep time for your own friends and interests.
• Find someone outside the family you can confide in.
• Put your energy into what you can change, not what you can’t.

Relationships, including the one you have with yourself, are vital to our wellbeing. Because they matter so much, they can also stir up anxiety: fear of conflict, fear of losing someone, or worry that you are not enough.

It can feel like

• Avoiding hard talks to keep the peace
• Getting snappy, irritable or withdrawn
• Needing reassurance again and again
• Reading a lot into a short text or a quiet mood

What tends to help

• Speak openly about how you feel. Regular check-ins can help.
• Listen actively: repeat back what you heard and ask questions.
• Ask yourself: are the facts different from how I’m reading this?
• Take time out when a talk gets heated, and come back calmer.
• Keep your own interests, and someone outside the relationship to confide in.

School-age children and teens often worry about tests, schoolwork, friendships and fitting in. Some try to be perfect as a way to cope, which can add even more pressure.

It can feel like

• Thinking anything less than perfect is failure
• Trouble sleeping before a big day
• Tummy aches or headaches on school mornings
• Your mind going blank in a test

What tends to help

• Make a realistic study plan in small, manageable blocks.
• Take short, regular breaks, and do something physical.
• Practice with old tests so the real one feels familiar.
• On the day: eat breakfast, arrive early, and read the questions carefully.
• If you freeze, try breathing in for 4, holding for 2, and out for 7.
• When it’s over, let it go and focus on what’s next.
• Talk to someone you trust if the stress builds up.

Not knowing what will happen is one of the hardest things for our brains. Teens often worry about the future, and many adults do too. In a 2025 survey, about 3 in 4 U.S. adults said the future of the country was a big source of stress.

It can feel like

• A heavy feeling when you read the news
• Endless “what if…?” questions
• Feeling stuck or unable to decide
• Trying to plan for every possible outcome

What tends to help

• Ask: “Is there something practical I can do about this?” If yes, plan one small step and when you will do it.
• If it’s a “what if” you can’t control, notice it, accept it, and gently move on.
• Save worries for a short daily “worry time”.
• Spend your energy on what you can change today.
• Limit how much news you take in, especially before bed.

Adults often worry about job security and how well they are doing at work. Heavy workloads, long hours, unclear roles, poor support, job insecurity and bullying can all wear down mental health.

It can feel like

• Checking emails late at night
• Dread on Sunday nights
• Feeling tense, tired and short-tempered
• Replaying a meeting over and over

What tends to help

• Break big tasks into small steps and do one at a time.
• Take short breaks and move your body during the day.
• Talk to your manager about workload or support if you can.
• Know your rights at work if you are worried about losing your job.
• Protect your sleep and time off.

Adults often worry about

• Being late, or chores
• Family
• Health
• Job
• Money

Children and teens often worry about

• Activities
• Friendships
• School
• The future

It can feel like

• Headaches and stomachaches
• Restlessness, trembling or sweating
• Tight, aching muscles
• Trouble concentrating
• Trouble falling or staying asleep, or feeling tired

What tends to help

• ACT, which builds acceptance and focus on what matters
• CBT, the most studied talk therapy for anxiety
• Less caffeine, good sleep, and daily stress-relief habits
• Patience: setbacks are a normal part of getting better

It can feel like

• Blushing, sweating, trembling, a racing heart, or feeling sick
• Replaying what you said and focusing on every “flaw”
• Worrying about an event for weeks before
• Your mind going blank

Hard situations can include

• Asking for help, eating or drinking in front of others
• Joining a new class, team or job
• Parties, dates or phone calls
• Playing sports or performing
• Public speaking, meeting new people, job interviews

Things you can try

• Notice “expecting the worst” thoughts, and check them against what really happened.
• Notice what went OK afterwards, not only what felt awkward.
• Slow your breathing before you walk in.
• Take small brave steps instead of avoiding: say one thing in the group chat or class.

Therapies that help

• ACT and support groups, where others share how they cope
• CBT, including practising social skills
• Exposure: facing avoided situations step by step
• Group CBT, which can add extra benefits

Animals and insects are common subjects of phobias. Fears like these are also common in preschool children, and many fade on their own.

A step-by-step example (fear of dogs)

• Look at photos of dogs
• Watch a video of a dog
• Stand across the street from a calm dog on a leash
• Stand near a friend’s calm dog
• Pet the dog with your friend beside you

Some phobias are about places or situations, like flying, heights or small spaces. People may plan their lives around avoiding them.

Fears about the body, such as blood, needles or vomit, can make medical visits very hard. Telling the nurse or doctor about your fear lets them help you through it.

It can feel like

• Dizziness, a pounding heart, a tight chest
• Fear that you might faint or lose control
• Feeling sick or shaky
• Strong anxiety near (or just thinking about) the feared thing

What tends to help

• Being careful with online searches that may show scary images before you’re ready
• Breathing exercises to relax
• CBT and gradual exposure, done step by step
• Talking to someone you trust, or joining a self-help group

Places that can feel hard

• Buses, trains and other public transport
• Leaving home
• Open or enclosed spaces
• Shopping centers and crowds

It can look like

• Asking others to do the shopping
• Only going out with a friend or partner
• Panic-like feelings: racing heart, fast breathing, sweating, feeling sick

Loved ones often help by doing errands or always going along. That comes from love, but it can keep the fear in charge over time.

What tends to help

• CBT and step-by-step exposure with a therapist
• In a panic: stay where you are, focus on something calm you can see, and breathe slowly
• Regular exercise and less caffeine and alcohol

It can look like

• Asking people again and again if you are OK
• Avoiding anything to do with illness, or avoiding exercise
• Checking your body for lumps, tingling or pain
• Searching symptoms online for hours
• Worrying a doctor or test missed something

Checking, searching and asking for reassurance work like avoidance. They bring quick relief, then the doubt returns. Cutting back slowly helps the worry shrink.

What tends to help

• Keep a diary of how often you check, search or ask for reassurance, and slowly cut back over a week.
• Write down your health worry and a more balanced thought next to it.
• When you feel the urge to check, distract yourself with a walk or a call to a friend.
• Slowly get back to things you’ve avoided, like sport or seeing friends.
• Try breathing exercises to calm your body.

A panic attack is a sudden rush of intense fear and strong body feelings, often with no clear reason. It can feel like a heart attack, but a panic attack itself is not dangerous. Most last about 5 to 20 minutes.

OCD involves unwanted thoughts and urges, and rituals done to ease the distress. It overlaps with anxiety but usually needs a tailored kind of therapy.

Reactions after a frightening event overlap with anxiety. They share features like avoidance, but often need a tailored, trauma-focused kind of therapy.

Separation anxiety is strong worry about being apart from a loved one. Selective mutism is when a child can talk easily in some places but freezes and cannot speak in others. Both usually start in early childhood, though adults can have them too.

Some nerves before an exam, game or speech are normal and can even help you focus. It becomes a problem when it stops you showing what you can do.

A primary care provider is a good place to start. They may ask when the worry started, how often it comes and how it affects your life, and may check for physical causes.

FindTreatment.gov is run by SAMHSA, a U.S. government agency. It lets you search for mental health services near you, confidentially and anonymously.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) lists free, confidential helplines by country, by phone, text or chat. The International Association for Suicide Prevention partners with its creators to share it. If someone is in danger, call your local emergency number.