How to Deal With Anxiety? Psychological and Neurological Insights

Summary – What Does It Mean to “Deal With Anxiety”?

When people search online for “how to deal with anxiety” or “how to manage anxiety”, they usually want more than quick tips. They want to understand what anxiety is, why their body reacts so strongly, and how to calm their system down without ignoring real problems.

From a psychological point of view, anxiety involves patterns of excessive worry, threat-focused attention and avoidance. Neurologically, it is linked to changes in how brain areas such as the amygdala (threat detection) and the prefrontal cortex (reasoning and regulation) communicate, as well as to stress hormones in the body. Learning to deal with anxiety often means working on both levels: how you think and behave, and how your nervous system responds.

This article explains the symptoms of anxiety, what happens in your brain when you feel anxious, and a range of coping strategies. Throughout, we refer to the evidence-based MindLabIQ Anxiety Test landing page as a structured entry point and to the online Anxiety Test itself as a practical tool for self-assessment. For more science-based articles on IQ, stress and mental health, you can also browse other posts on the MindLabIQ blog and explore further assessments on the tests overview page.

1. What Is Anxiety? A Psychological View

Anxiety is a state of heightened anticipation of threat. Psychologically, it combines thoughts (“something bad will happen”), emotions (fear, dread), physical sensations (racing heart, tension) and behaviours (avoidance, reassurance-seeking). Some anxiety is normal and even helpful – it keeps us alert in exams, job interviews or when crossing the road.

Anxiety becomes a problem when it is too intense, too frequent or disconnected from real danger. In this case, it can interfere with work, relationships, sleep and health. Different patterns of anxiety include:

• Generalised anxiety – constant worrying about many areas of life (health, money, family, work).
• Social anxiety – intense fear of being judged or humiliated in social situations.
• Panic – sudden waves of intense fear with strong physical symptoms.
• Specific fears and phobias – strong anxiety focused on particular objects or situations.

Online resources, like the articles on the MindLabIQ blog, can help you recognise these patterns. The MindLabIQ Anxiety Test, available via the main MindLabIQ platform, offers a more structured look at how anxiety shows up in your own life.

2. What Happens in the Brain When You Feel Anxious?

To really understand how to deal with anxiety, it helps to know what is happening in your brain and nervous system. Anxiety is not “all in your head” in the sense of “imaginary” – it is a real state of the brain-body system designed to protect you from danger.

Key brain and body players in anxiety include:

• The amygdala, a small structure involved in detecting threats and generating fear responses. In chronic anxiety, it can become overly sensitive, reacting to mild signals as if they were serious dangers.
• The prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, reasoning and emotional regulation. When you are very anxious, its calming influence can weaken, making it harder to “think your way out” of fear.
• The autonomic nervous system, which controls your heart rate, breathing and digestion. Anxiety shifts it toward a “fight or flight” mode: faster heartbeat, shallow breathing, sweaty palms and tense muscles.
• Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which help you respond quickly to threats but can be harmful when elevated for too long.

From a neurological perspective, learning how to manage anxiety is partly about training these systems to react less intensely and to return to baseline more quickly. Later sections cover strategies that target both the mind and the nervous system, and the MindLabIQ Anxiety Test landing page explains how your test scores reflect different aspects of this anxiety system.

3. Common Symptoms of Anxiety – Mind, Body and Behaviour

When people say “I feel anxious”, they often describe a cluster of symptoms rather than a single sensation. Recognising these patterns can be the first step in dealing with anxiety more effectively.

Typical anxiety symptoms include:

• Thoughts – constant “what if?” scenarios, catastrophising, difficulty switching off worry.
• Emotions – unease, nervousness, dread, irritability, feeling “on edge”.
• Body sensations – rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, tight chest, stomach discomfort, dizziness.
• Behaviours – avoiding situations, seeking reassurance, over-preparing, checking, difficulty relaxing or sitting still.
• Impact on life – trouble concentrating, difficulty sleeping, less enjoyment of relationships, work or hobbies.

If you recognise several of these signs, a structured tool like the MindLabIQ Anxiety Test can help you see how intense and frequent they are. The test is not a diagnosis, but it can provide a clear snapshot of your anxiety profile to discuss with a professional if needed.

4. Overview of Anxiety Symptoms and Brain/Body Reactions

The table below summarises how anxiety often shows up across thoughts, emotions, body and behaviour, along with what is usually happening in the brain and nervous system. It is not a diagnostic tool, but it can help you notice patterns and think more clearly about how to manage anxiety in your own life.

When you know how anxiety operates across these levels, “how to deal with anxiety” becomes less mysterious. You can start choosing strategies that target specific parts of the cycle – for example, working on anxious thoughts, calming the body or gently changing avoidance habits. Using structured tools on the MindLabIQ tests page, and in particular the Anxiety Test, can support this process.

5. How to Deal With Anxiety – Psychological Strategies

The question “how do I deal with anxiety?” often leads people to look for a perfect technique that makes fear disappear. In reality, coping with anxiety is usually about small, consistent steps that gradually change the way your mind and body respond to perceived threats.

Evidence-based psychological strategies include:

• Noticing and naming thoughts – writing down anxious thoughts (“I will fail”, “They will laugh at me”) and gently questioning how realistic or helpful they are.
• Shifting attention – practising focusing on the present moment (what you see, hear, feel) instead of replaying “what if” scenarios.
• Gradual exposure – carefully and repeatedly facing feared situations in small steps, instead of avoiding them, to show your brain that you can cope.
• Problem-solving – separating solvable problems (“I need to send that email”) from vague worries (“my future will be terrible”) and taking clear, concrete actions where possible.
• Self-compassion – treating yourself with the same understanding you would offer a friend, instead of harsh criticism, when anxiety flares up.

A structured assessment like the MindLabIQ Anxiety Test can highlight which areas are most active for you (for example, physical symptoms vs. worry) so you can tailor your coping efforts more precisely.

6. Calming the Nervous System – Body-Based Ways to Manage Anxiety

Because anxiety strongly involves the body, calming the nervous system directly is another powerful way to deal with anxiety. These techniques do not solve life problems by themselves, but they make it easier to think clearly and use psychological strategies.

Body-based approaches include:

• Slow, diaphragmatic breathing – gently extending the exhale (for example, 4 seconds in, 6 seconds out) to signal safety to the autonomic nervous system.
• Progressive muscle relaxation – tensing and releasing muscle groups to reduce overall physical tension.
• Gentle movement – walking, stretching or other forms of moderate exercise, which can reduce stress hormones and improve mood over time.
• Sleep hygiene – keeping a consistent sleep schedule and reducing stimulating activities close to bedtime.
• Limiting rapid “doom-scrolling” – taking intentional breaks from constant news and social media, which can feed the brain more threat signals than it can effectively process.

These techniques are usually most effective when practised regularly, not only in moments of crisis. Combined with the insights from your Anxiety Test results and guidance on the Anxiety Test landing page, they can become part of a personalised plan for managing anxiety.

7. When to Seek Professional Help for Anxiety

Self-help strategies and online resources can be valuable, but there are times when it is important to seek professional support. Consider talking to a doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist if:

• Your anxiety has been intense or constant for weeks or months.
• It significantly interferes with work, relationships or daily responsibilities.
• You avoid many situations because of fear or panic.
• You use alcohol, medication or other substances to cope with anxiety.
• You experience thoughts of self-harm or feel you are losing control.

The MindLabIQ Anxiety Test and other tools on the MindLabIQ tests page are designed for self-reflection, not diagnosis. They can provide useful information to share with professionals, but they cannot replace a full clinical assessment or treatment.

8. Conclusion – A More Informed Way to Deal With Anxiety

Learning how to deal with anxiety is a process, not a single technique. Understanding the psychological patterns (worry, avoidance, negative predictions) and the neurological mechanisms (amygdala, prefrontal cortex, stress hormones) behind anxiety can make your experience feel less mysterious and more workable.

Instead of seeing anxiety as a personal failure, you can view it as a brain-body response that has become overly sensitive – and therefore as something that can be retrained over time. Evidence-based self-help strategies, support from others and, when needed, professional care all have a place in this process.

Tools like the MindLabIQ Anxiety Test, the explanation on the Anxiety Test landing page, and related articles on the MindLabIQ blog, all hosted on the MindLabIQ main platform, can help transform vague worry into clearer understanding and more intentional next steps.

Important Disclaimer

The information in this article and the MindLabIQ Anxiety Test are provided for general information and self-reflection only. They are not a medical or psychological diagnosis and do not replace a consultation with a qualified health professional, such as a doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist.

Do not ignore professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this website or because of your test results. If you are concerned about your mental health, your ability to cope with anxiety, or the safety of yourself or others, speak to a qualified professional in your country as soon as possible.

If you experience thoughts of self-harm, harming other people, or feel that you might act on such thoughts, contact your local emergency number or a crisis hotline immediately. Online content, including this article and the Anxiety Test, cannot provide emergency support.