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What to Do When Anxiety Feels Overwhelming: An ACT Approach
When anxiety becomes overwhelming, it can feel like it’s taken over your whole life—racing thoughts, tightness in your chest, restlessness, and a sense that something bad is just around the corner. In these moments, it’s easy to believe the only way forward is to somehow “get rid of” the anxiety. You might try to distract yourself, avoid the source of your stress, or talk yourself out of feeling the way you do.
But what if the key to easing anxiety isn’t to fight it—but to change your relationship with it?
At Bydand Therapy, we use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people who feel stuck in anxious loops find clarity, calm, and purpose. ACT isn’t about “fixing” you or pretending you’re not anxious. It’s about helping you create a richer, more meaningful life even when anxiety is present.
Why Avoiding Anxiety Doesn’t Work
It’s natural to want to escape or push away discomfort. But when it comes to anxiety, avoidance often makes things worse. Suppressing anxious thoughts, avoiding certain situations, or trying to distract yourself might offer brief relief—but over time, it teaches your brain that anxiety is dangerous. This reinforces a cycle where anxiety becomes something you fear rather than something you can coexist with.
In ACT, we take a different approach: we shift the focus from control to connection. Instead of trying to eliminate anxious thoughts and feelings, we learn to respond to them with curiosity, acceptance, and values-based action.
ACT Strategies for Managing Overwhelming Anxiety
Here are five powerful strategies drawn from ACT that we use at Bydand Therapy to help clients work with—not against—their anxiety.
1. Practice Cognitive Defusion
Anxious thoughts can be incredibly persuasive. “I can’t do this,” “Something bad is going to happen,” or “I’m going to fail” can sound like undeniable truths. But they’re just thoughts—mental events, not facts.
Cognitive defusion helps you step back from your thoughts and see them for what they are. One simple technique is to add the phrase, “I’m having the thought that…” before your anxious thought. So instead of saying, “I’m going to mess up,” you say, “I’m having the thought that I’m going to mess up.” This small shift creates a bit of space between you and the thought, loosening its grip.
You might even imagine the thought as a cloud drifting by in the sky, or words written on a leaf floating down a stream. The goal is not to get rid of the thought, but to hold it more lightly.
2. Accept the Feeling Instead of Fighting It
Anxiety is uncomfortable—but it’s not harmful. The more we resist anxiety, the more intense it becomes. Think of anxiety like quicksand: the harder you struggle, the deeper you sink. But if you pause, breathe, and float, you can stay above the surface.
In ACT, we practice “willingness”—the choice to let our feelings come and go without struggling with them. This doesn’t mean we like the anxiety or want it to stay forever. It just means we make space for it, like an unwanted houseguest who’s already on the couch. By dropping the struggle, we free up energy for more meaningful actions.
3. Anchor Yourself in the Present Moment
Anxiety often pulls us into the future: What if I fail? What if something bad happens? What if I can’t handle it?
The antidote is to come back to the present moment. This is the only place where life is actually happening. Using mindfulness, we can ground ourselves in the here and now through simple techniques: focusing on our breath, feeling our feet on the floor, or noticing the sights and sounds around us.
At Bydand Therapy, we guide clients through these practices in session and help them create simple routines they can use throughout their day. You don’t need to be a meditation expert. Even 30 seconds of presence can interrupt an anxious spiral.
4. Identify Your Values
Anxiety often clouds what matters most. You might find yourself consumed by worry and lose sight of your deeper priorities—relationships, creativity, contribution, or adventure.
ACT helps you reconnect with your values. These are the qualities that give your life meaning and direction. Even when anxiety is loud, you can ask: “What kind of person do I want to be in this moment?”
When you act in alignment with your values, you strengthen your sense of purpose—and anxiety starts to feel smaller in comparison. For example, you might feel anxious about calling a friend, but if connection is a core value, that call becomes a courageous step toward what matters.
5. Take Committed Action
It’s easy to think, “Once I feel better, then I’ll do the thing.” But in ACT, we flip that idea. We take action not because the anxiety is gone, but alongside the anxiety.
This might mean showing up to the interview even if your heart is pounding, or saying “yes” to the trip even if your mind is filled with what-ifs. Every small step you take in the presence of fear is an act of courage—and each one teaches your brain that you can feel anxious and still move forward.
You Are More Than Your Anxiety
When anxiety is overwhelming, it’s easy to feel like it defines you. But it’s only one part of your experience—not the whole story.
ACT teaches us that we are not our thoughts, not our emotions, not even our past. We are the awareness behind all of it—the person who can choose how to respond. You can carry anxiety with you and live a meaningful, connected, fulfilling life.
You don’t have to wait for anxiety to go away to begin again.
Ready to Take the First Step?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety and looking for a grounded, evidence-based way to move forward, Bydand Therapy is here to help. Our telehealth psychotherapy sessions are available to residents of Wyoming and California, offering the convenience of virtual support without sacrificing depth or connection.
We work with individuals who are ready to stop battling their thoughts and start building lives rooted in clarity, values, and resilience. Each hour-long session is personalized, compassionate, and centered around practical tools you can use right away.
If you live outside of Wyoming or California, we also offer international coaching through Bowen Family Systems Theory. This approach focuses on helping you break out of reactive patterns, develop inner calm, and grow in self-differentiation—so you can show up in your life with strength and intention.
You don’t have to face anxiety alone.
Reach out today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation and explore how we can work together. Let’s help you move from surviving to living—one meaningful step at a time.
