Anxiety Shivers & Chills: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment

Can Anxiety Cause Chills & Shivers?

Physiological symptoms of anxiety can manifest in some unexpected ways, including experiencing anxiety chills and shivers. When people get anxious, they may feel shaky or suddenly feel very cold, which causes chills and shivering. These reactions are due to activity in the endocrine and circulatory systems during stressful situations.

When a person experiences anxiety, the body’s fight-or-flight response is activated to respond to the perceived threat. The body begins to release cortisol and adrenaline, which increases blood flow to the heart. As blood gets rerouted, it can cause the arms and legs to feel colder, causing anxiety shaking. Additionally, the heart rate increases, which can cause the body to sweat. When the sweat meets the cool air, the person may begin to get anxiety chills.

Characteristics of anxiety shivers include:

• Shaking in hands and fingers
• Trembling
• Tension in the body
• A tingling or “pins and needles” feeling in the hands
• Feeling very cold and shivering, then feeling hot and sweaty
• Experiencing a tremor or shaking in your voice
• Feeling unable to regulate your temperature
• Being unable to make your hands or fingers stop shaking

Anxiety Shivers & Chills Vs. Other Medical Conditions

While anxiety shivers and chills may occur during anxiety or panic attacks or in response to phobic triggers, it is important that other potential medical causes are ruled out as the cause. If you are experiencing anxiety shaking for the first time, consult a physician to rule out other conditions. Possible alternative causes include fever, sepsis, COVID-19, hyperthyroidism, essential tremors, and low blood sugar.

How to Cope With Anxiety Chills & Shivers

When you are experiencing anxiety shivers and chills, there are several techniques you can use to calm your anxiety. Once your anxiety reduces, you can steady your nerves and stop the anxiety shaking.

Here are nine ways to cope with anxiety chills and shivers:

1. Grounding techniques: Grounding techniques are designed to help you focus on the present moment and gain a sense of control over your thoughts. There are a variety of grounding techniques for anxiety that include focusing on the surroundings, intentional movement, and body scans, among others.
2. Deep and slow breathing: A quick and effective method to stop anxiety shivers and chills is through breathing exercises for anxiety. Breathing deeply effectively tells your nervous system to calm down. There are many deep breathing patterns that are effective, including the 4-7-8 breathing pattern and square breathing.
3. Distracting the mind: Anxiety can escalate when your mind “runs away with you.” By distracting your mind from anxious thoughts, you are able to let go of thoughts about the anxiety triggers. Distracting the mind helps to stop rumination, calm the body down, and reduce anxiety shaking.
4. Warming up the body: When adrenaline is surging, our body focuses our circulation to our core, so our extremities feel cold and that can contribute to anxiety chills. Warm drinks (not hot drinks) help calm the body and the nervous system. Warm tea is especially beneficial because the tea itself can help ease anxiety.
5. Exercise: “Burning off” nervous energy with exercise can help minimize anxiety. Depending on where you are, you might do a few calisthenic exercises, like jumping jacks, to lower your anxiety or take care of some household chores that require effort, like vacuuming or mopping your floors. By burning off the nervous energy, you are helping your body return to a state of calm and stopping the anxiety shivers and chill.
6. Guided imagery: A guided imagery meditation for anxiety involves using a script or recording that leads you through the creation of an image in your mind. By focusing on the special space you’re creating in your mind, you are able to calm your nervous system by letting go of anxiety-producing thoughts.
7. Progressive muscle relaxation: Progressive muscle relaxation intentionally tenses and releases your muscles in a specific order from head to toe or toe to head. This enables you to focus on something unrelated to what is making you anxious.² It can be especially useful in controlling physiological symptoms of anxiety, including anxiety shaking.
8. Cooling down the body: Research has found that cold water immersion stimulates the dive response in humans, which can reduce feelings of anxiety.³ Try taking a cold shower or placing your face, hand, or foot in ice-cold water.
9. Meditation: Meditation for anxiety helps a person control their thoughts and focus their mind. It draws a person inwards, helping the body move from reacting to the external environment to a place of focused intention. The body will then begin to calm down, and the anxiety shivers and chills will stop.

When to Seek Professional Help

At times, anxiety is a natural and even a helpful response because it alerts us to possible threats.⁴ However, when anxiety symptoms are interfering with your normal daily routine, it may be time to seek professional help. There are many ways to find help for your anxiety.

For some people, using a mental health app like Sanvello can be effective. Apps require self-motivation and a commitment to consistent use. Others may prefer the support of a therapist, psychologist, or counselor to help with anxiety symptoms like anxiety shivers and chills.

You can seek out therapists who specialize in anxiety through an online therapist directory. An online directory allows you to search for therapists who take your insurance and who are within your area. Alternatively, you can ask your general practitioner for a referral. If you prefer to see a therapist remotely, an online therapy platform for anxiety may be the right choice for you.

Treatment for Anxiety Shivers & Chills

Seeking treatment to manage anxiety symptoms can make a significant difference in a person’s quality of life. Anxiety can be debilitating and keep people from enjoying their lives; by seeking treatment to manage symptoms, people are able to be more fully present and better cope with stressors. Shivers and chills are just two of the many anxiety symptoms that can be reduced through effective treatment.

Therapy

Anxiety is one of the most common disorders experienced in the US.⁵ Due to its prevalence, there are many therapies for anxiety developed to help people manage its symptoms. Even with the inclusion of medication, therapy is a vital part of treatment.³ Both supportive therapeutic discussions and psychoeducation are helpful in learning new ways to manage symptoms, including shivers and chills.

Common therapies for anxiety include:

• Somatic therapy: Somatic therapy focuses on the physical symptoms related to the anxiety trigger. Techniques for calming the mind and easing the discomfort are learned to help clients manage their sensations.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT for anxiety helps manage anxiety, which in turn can reduce the frequency of experiencing anxiety shivers and chills.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): In addition to minimizing symptoms of anxiety, DBT for anxiety can also reduce anxiety-related shivers, chills, and other symptoms.
• Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy for anxiety is used with phobias and involves gradually escalating exposure to the phobia-inducing object. As you decrease your anxiety symptoms, you’ll naturally decrease the frequency of anxiety-related shivers and chills you experience.

Medication

Sometimes, a combination of therapy and anti-anxiety medication is needed to manage anxiety. If your anxiety keeps you from enjoying normal activities, even with therapy, you should consider finding a psychiatrist to speak to about medication options. To access anxiety medication, you must have a doctor’s prescription. Being upfront with your doctor and sharing as much as you can about your symptoms is important for the correct medication to be prescribed.