Anxiety is not a noun....

Anxiety isn’t something you “have”; it’s something you “do.”

Shifting this perspective—from seeing anxiety as a fixed state (a noun) to understanding it as a process (a verb)—is transformative. When we treat anxiety as a noun, it feels permanent, immovable, and part of our identity. But when we recognize it as an active process, we reclaim power to disrupt and change it.

Anxiety isn’t a passive condition thrust upon you; it’s an active process you participate in, often unconsciously. This perspective, rooted in strategic psychotherapy, teaches us to focus on the "how" of anxiety rather than the "why." By asking how do you do anxiety?, we uncover the specific thoughts, behaviors, and patterns that fuel it.

For example:

• Do you ruminate about worst-case scenarios?

• Do you avoid situations that feel uncertain?

• Do you interpret physical sensations, like a racing heart, as signs of danger?

These are actionable patterns that sustain anxiety, and they can be interrupted.

Why Language Matters

Saying “I have anxiety” or “I am anxious” reinforces the idea that anxiety is a fixed part of your identity, like owning an object or embodying a trait. This can lead to feelings of helplessness, as though anxiety defines you or is something you must carry forever.

Instead, consider the phrase, “I am doing anxiety.” This reframing reveals the truth: anxiety is an action, not a permanent state. If it’s something you’re doing, it’s also something you can stop doing, with the right strategies and support.

In strategic psychotherapy, we focus on the how of anxiety, not the why. The goal is to uncover and disrupt the specific processes that sustain anxiety.

Here’s how it works:

1. Identify the Pattern: How are you “doing” anxiety? What thoughts, behaviors, or reactions fuel it?

2. Disrupt the Cycle: Through targeted interventions, we interrupt unhelpful patterns and create new pathways.

3. Replace and Reframe: Introduce healthier behaviors and perspectives that promote resilience and calm.

This approach shifts therapy from endless analysis to actionable change. You learn to recognise the process, stop participating in it, and build new, more effective ways of responding to life’s challenges. When we stop seeing anxiety as something we have and start recognizing it as something we do, we unlock the power to create change.

Anxiety doesn’t define you - it’s a process you’ve been running. And any process can be interrupted, reshaped, and replaced.

Key Takeaway

You are not your anxiety. It’s not a “thing” you’re stuck with. It’s a series of actions you can unlearn and replace. By shifting your language and perspective, you take the first step toward breaking free from anxiety’s grip.

What’s one way you’ve noticed yourself “doing” anxiety? Save this blog to reflect later, and share your thoughts below! Let’s start rewriting the narrative.

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Ready to take the first step toward a calmer, more in control you?

Book a complimentary 15-minute discovery call with Madeleine today to explore how psychotherapy and hypnotherapy can help you break free from anxiety, stress, or other challenges holding you back.

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Madeleine Seppelt

Dip. Clinical Hypnotherapy & Strategic Psychotherapy

Institute of Applied Psychology