What to Do When Anxiety Feels Overwhelming: An ACT Approach

When anxiety becomes overwhelming, it can feel like it’s taking over your life—racing thoughts, physical tension, and an inability to focus. Many people try to fight anxiety by pushing it away, but this often makes it worse. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a different approach: instead of battling anxiety, you learn to accept it while still moving forward.

Why Avoiding Anxiety Doesn’t Work

Trying to suppress or ignore anxious feelings usually backfires, making them stronger. ACT helps by shifting your focus from eliminating anxiety to responding to it in a healthier way.

ACT Strategies for Managing Overwhelming Anxiety

1. Practice Cognitive Defusion – Anxiety-driven thoughts can feel overpowering, but they don’t have to control you. Instead of thinking “I can’t handle this,” try “I notice I am having the thought that I can’t handle this.” This small shift creates distance from the thought, reducing its impact.
2. Accept the Feeling Instead of Fighting It – Anxiety is uncomfortable but not dangerous. By allowing it to exist without resistance, it loses some of its power.
3. Anchor Yourself in the Present Moment – Anxiety often pulls you into what-ifs about the future. Use mindfulness to bring yourself back to the here and now by focusing on your breath, physical sensations, or surroundings.
4. Identify Your Values – Anxiety can distract you from what truly matters. Take a moment to reconnect with your values and ask, “What’s one small step I can take in alignment with what I care about?”
5. Take Committed Action – Anxiety might not disappear, but it doesn’t have to stop you. Even in the presence of fear, take one small action toward your goals.

You Are More Than Your Anxiety

Anxiety may feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t define you. By using ACT strategies, you can build a new relationship with anxiety—one where it no longer dictates your actions.

Feeling stuck in overwhelming anxiety? Let’s talk about how ACT can help you regain control and move forward.

If you’re in Wyoming or California and seeking convenient telehealth psychotherapy, we offer hour-long sessions to support your personal growth and well-being. For those outside these states, we provide international coaching through Bowen Family Systems, helping individuals break free from reactive cycles, build resilience, and cultivate deeper self-understanding. Reach out to explore how we can work together.