One in three Americans struggle with persistent anxiety at some point in their lives. That makes up a significant portion of the population, which means those who struggle from anxiety should remember they are not alone.
If you or someone you know struggles with moderate to severe anxiety, here are 35 quotes to remember from therapists, authors, counselors, and others who have experienced anxiety first-hand to help you calm your anxiety:
Inspirational Quotes
1. “The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but deliverance from fear. It is the storm within which endangers him, not the storm without.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. “Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.” – Buddhist vision
3. “Not everything that weighs you down is yours to carry.” – Anonymous
4. “We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” – Seneca (Roman Philosopher)
5. “Some people still try / To swim when / They’re drowning / The trick is / to simply stop struggling / And breathe.” – Chris McGeown
6. “When you replace ‘Why is this happening to me?’ with ‘What is this trying to teach me?’ everything shifts.” – Unknown
7. “Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.” – The Buddha
8. “Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be. Let your body relax and your heart soften. Open to whatever you experience without fighting.” – Jack Kornfield
9. “Go easy on yourself. Whatever you do today, let it be enough.” – Unknown
10. “There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” – Epictetus
11. “You don’t have to be a victim of your past anymore. You are not your mistakes, and you are not your struggles.” – Nick Vujicic, author of Life Without Limits
Quotes From Therapists
12. “Anxiety is a way my body and mind bring things to my awareness that I can assess and explore. It is there for a reason and I get to choose whether it negatively or positively impacts me. It also ebbs and flows and doesn’t have to be permanent. I’m constantly learning new ways to make my anxiety work for me rather than against me.” – Rachel Elder, LMHC
13. “I experience anxiety from time to time. Here’s a little trick that I use: Shake yourself free from fear and anxiety by inhaling deeply and hold your breath as you shake your left leg for a five-count; exhale and repeat with your right leg. Next, moving up your body, repeat with your hips, shoulders, arms, and wrists before finishing with your head and neck.” – Dr. Tasha Holland, Licensed Mental Health Therapist
14. “The deeper root of anxiety is an inability to handle distressing events due to poor coping mechanisms learned from our past. We tend to develop our methods of coping from modeling those of our parents and family members. When we do not learn effective City Test Prepcoping mechanisms as a child, we may be unable to handle these events in a proactive and positive way as an adult.” – Dr. Supatra Tovar, Holistic Health Clinical Psychologist
15. “Anxiety is a part of me, and it does not define me. I remind myself that however I am feeling is valid, and it will pass. I won’t feel or think about this forever. I use mindfulness to detach from self-judgments or criticism or the need to make meaning. Instead, I allow myself to feel and be curious about it. I might look for themes to note for when I am in a better state of mind to dive into it. Anxiety wants to worry, to spiral, and to stay frozen in fear. As uncomfortable as it is, let yourself feel it and know that it will pass because it always does.” – Candy Bui, AMFT
16. “I have learned to practice mindfulness, and bringing my attention back to the here and now, where anxiety is usually due to ruminating or worrying. It takes time because you need to increase awareness that you are actually doing it! I also set aside ‘worry’ time. I plan a session dedicated purely to worrying thoughts, this gives me greater control rather than the other way round. I say to myself, ‘I hear you, we will come back to this later in worry time.’ I also take charge of my anxiety by looking at the trigger and whether I have turned a molehill into a mountain, which I usually have.” – Tracey Evans, neuroscientist
17. “Anxiety breeds a special kind of discomfort. Throughout the years, the content and focus of the anxiety have changed, but the feeling of discomfort stays the same. I have found that naming anxiety is the best way to overcome it. When I start to feel my heart beat fast, my face flush, and my thoughts spiral, I try to acknowledge that this feeling is anxiety and trust my body to overcome it; it has had many years of experience doing so. Naming the feeling puts the thoughts in a familiar context; one that you have experienced before and gotten through.” –Jessy Pucker, LMSW
18. “Anxiety affects my ability to trust my intuition and be confident in my abilities. When you struggle with anxiety, the panic and overthinking can cause doubt with decision-making, questioning your strengths, and wondering if you did the ‘right’ thing or not. In addition, at times when I struggle with my anxiety, I tend to turn more into a people pleaser because since I am doubting myself I am looking for approval from others. There is good anxiety and too much anxiety. Making sure I am staying balanced by utilizing a little anxiety to complete tasks, be diligent, and meet deadlines. However, if I know my anxiety is getting out of hand that is my signal that I need to take care of myself. – Ashley Hudson, LMFT
19. “Use a reframing technique to shift perspectives when you feel a situation, experience, event, idea, and/or emotion has moved into a negative space. You can pivot or challenge your thoughts or perception into serving a positive function. For example, if I am unable to get a contract or opportunity I had hoped for, instead of feeling negative about it, I see it as an opportunity for growth and to explore where I can learn from the situation. I reframe my thoughts to see the situation in a positive light: this might be an opportunity for me to be open to another experience that I am currently unaware of or realize why this opportunity really was not a good fit.” – Bara Sapir, MA, CHt, CNLP, MBSR-T, City Test Prep
Personal Stories
20. “For me, one of the biggest former causes of anxiety was driving in cities and for longer distances. I used to dread it and was always terrified of bad things happening in any particular venture. Naturally, being a full-time video producer, there was no room for this anxiety if I was to make it in the industry in any capacity. So I had to push myself to do it. It wasn’t always fun and I can safely say that leading into any of these productions, I would be so stressed to the point where any little thing would lead me spiraling to a place of a near shutdown. However, with time and consistent exposure, I was eventually able to find a good place with it all. Each time I did it, I felt better and my confidence grew a little more. Fast forward to now and driving downtown or a few hours away feels like nothing. I don’t mind it at all and I actually look forward to long drives as for me they are pretty relaxing.” – Daniel Hess, Founder of To Tony Productions
21. “Anxiety has affected me my whole life, stemming from my childhood being an extremely tall kid and athlete. Little did I realize then, but the pressure of becoming a great athlete impacted my future endeavors. I ‘failed’ in that sporting career and since then I have been afraid to ‘fail’ again. Until recently that is, through therapy, I have been able to change my outlook on what anxiety will do to me. Instead of fearing it, I am welcoming it in small doses into my daily life. One way I induce a small amount of anxiety into my week is to walk into the Pacific Ocean and stand there up to my neck in the cold water. I stand there 10 minutes throughout each Sunday from October till March. The fear and anxiety of the uncomfortableness I tell myself I will feel is the anxiety I am choosing to introduce into my life. After 3 minutes in the water, I have felt all the fear my mind can throw at me, and for the next 7 minutes, I stand there submerged in the ocean knowing I have won. I have conquered anxiety today, and I know I can conquer it the next time it appears in my life.” – Paul Marlow, Founder of Never Alone
22. “Anxiety is a constant battle against the mind and taking control of it. It’s a constant doubt in the back of your head and questioning whether your thoughts are true or not. For me, it’s been a 1-2 years journey of self-acceptance, finding my purpose in life, and living in the moment. I have realized that I do not have to be perfect to be loved or accepted by people around me. Just being me is enough and I am enough.” – Lovelia Horn, physical therapist and owner of Every Creature Counts
23. “I used to view my anxiety as a limitation, now I view it as a barometer, and when my thoughts spiral, I go for a walk or I go to the gym. Fitness has worked for me so far as it is a form of medication for me and while everyone’s treatment plan varies, it stops me from spiraling into a dark place.” – Karisa Karmali, Founder of Self-Love and Fitness
24. “Anxiety is often triggered by a past experience. Here is my tip: Imagine that you float out of your body so that you imagine looking down at yourself from the ceiling. Some people imagine this and others visualize it. By doing this, you are noticing yourself feeling anxious from a new perspective. This new perspective can help you reduce or eliminate the anxiety. Some people realize they have nothing to fear from this new perspective while others will notice a smaller shift initially that will grow over time.” – Eli Bliliuos, Founder of the NYC Hypnosis Center
25. “I developed anxiety in my late 20s from my drinking. It would keep me up multiple hours per night several nights a week. I felt like the room was zooming out and I was very far away from everything. I’ve always struggled with depression, so I thought I had just developed anxiety on top of that, but once I stopped drinking my anxiety magically disappeared. I challenged myself to 90 days and found when I returned to drinking, my anxiety returned, too. I’m now 2 years sober and anxiety-free. Most people don’t know about the link between drinking alcohol and having anxiety, whether it was alcohol-induced anxiety like I had or worsening existing anxiety.” – Gillian Tietz, Host of Sober Powered Podcast
26. “My first memory of having a panic attack was when I was about 5 years old. My dad took me with him to Walgreens to pick up a prescription and we sat in the waiting area chairs together while we waited for it to be ready. He then got up and told me that he needed to go to the bathroom and would be right back. After about a minute, I started to panic and my thoughts started racing. ‘What would I do if he didn’t come back?’ I am 35 now and have been able to manage my anxiety with medication as well as cutting out caffeine as that seems to be a trigger to panic attacks.” – Jessica Clark, mother and blogger
27. “Anxiety has been a part of who I am for my entire life. Growing up, I always just felt ‘different’ from others. My family always chalked it up to me being ‘shy’ but I always felt it was more than that. I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older that having anxiety doesn’t define me, but it is a part of who I am. And it doesn’t have to be something I’m ashamed of. I never know what type of day I’m going to have. Some days are perfectly fine, and others feel like everything is a struggle. When I’m at the height of my anxiety, I have found that stopping to take a deep breath and hold onto something physical helps me. It reminds me that I’m grounded, that I can breathe—because sometimes when I’m feeling anxious it feels like I can’t—and reminds me that I will be okay.” – Natasha Funderburk, RN, NASM-Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutritionist, Behavior Change Specialist
28. “Anxiety can cause us to get into a looping spiral where we replay events over and over again in our heads. It’s exhausting and brings us only more anxiety. One technique I use to distract myself and focus on the positive is journaling out my gratitude list. This forces me to think about the positives in my life and writing forces me to slow down while I focus on the good and beauty I have around me. If I’m not in the mood for this, usually a walking meditation helps. I put on an audiobook or listen to a free guided meditation from InsightTimer.” – Kimberly Hill, dating and relationship coach
29. “It started with me being very sensitive in my emotions and easily annoyed. I tried stress relief in meditation, yoga, and exercise but with anxiety, your mind is not peaceful enough to participate in anything that requires focus or relaxation. I tried CBD/THC, focus training, among other mental therapies to help with my anxiety, but nothing was helping nor solving the issue. I then decided to do things that I was fearful of, like jumping in headfirst, and that was the cure! I got back onto planes after I avoided flying. I walked into public areas that were heavily crowded which wouldn’t have bothered me before anxiety, but after the anxiety was evident, a crowd overwhelmed my central nervous system to where I wouldn’t get out of the car. I then began doing more things that were ‘uncomfortable’ so that my confidence would outweigh my insecurities and fear because, remember, I was already doing these things before anxiety set in.” – Terri R. Alexander, founder of Nside 2 Out Consulting LLC
30. “I feel this pandemic left everyone with some sort of anxiety whether it be personal or social. Personally, I felt very anxious for the future during the pandemic, as hearing negative news everywhere felt like it was some sort of dead-end with no clear future in sight. Everyone being forced to isolate themselves for safety measures made me feel like the walls were closing in. But in the end, there was always hope that we all will get through it no matter what. Even the smallest signs of hope and positivity helped me power through to lookout for opportunities to grow and learn more.” – Holly C, community manager at the Plumbinglab
31. “Many times, when my anxiety spiked, it would lead to becoming overstimulated and dissociating—which made it hard to be around people. I also have really bad cyclical thought processes that I used to find hard to get out of. I began to write my feelings down in a journal so that they wouldn’t just stay trapped in my head. I found writing to be cathartic for me, and it seemed like the thoughts in my head finally had an escape route. I began to meditate and work out more which helped me cope with not only the mental symptoms of my anxiety but the physical symptoms such as restlessness, sleep problems, and trembling that came along with it.” – Madi Garza, marketing assistant at Lemon Law Experts
32. “The truth is I didn’t know I suffered from anxiety until I became a mom. Before the pandemic, my anxiety was manageable with meditation and eating well. But after a year in, the pandemic and getting COVID myself in January of this year, the anxiety became a nightmare with panic attacks every day and insomnia that made me finally ask for help. I started therapy and after years of refusing to take medication, I finally said ‘yes.’ I started running, learned new meditations oriented to reduce anxiety with breathing, and am still doing therapy every 2 weeks.” – Caro Mejía, author and creator of Lamamalatina.com
33. “This is very common but I believe this is a great quote: ‘It is okay, not to be okay’. This quote helps me to be myself, no hypocrisy, no pretense. This is acknowledging what I really felt at the moment, that there is a problem and that I need help. With that being said, being honest to myself and to others helps me to face the reality, and receive appropriate help to overcome it.” – Kevin Daly, Marketing Manager, Zevo Health
34. “Living with anxiety can make it difficult for a person to make long-lasting friendships and relationships and can severely affect the self-esteem of an individual. At the same time, it can also make it difficult for a person to perform the most basic of tasks which then can lead to a very unsatisfying and unfulfilling life. Some ways a person can overcome anxiety include talking about the issues you are dealing with can help you to feel more relaxed and less burdened. Therapy can help a person to identify patterns and behaviors which lead to anxious thoughts and can leave a person in a much better space of mind to tackle these thoughts. Meditation can help to calm your senses and help you to relax. It can be highly beneficial to treat your anxiety.” – Girish Dutt Shukla, Mental Health Blogger
35. “I struggle with serious bouts of anxiety and it can get crippling. Two years ago, I was in a horrible state because anxiety had adversely affected my daily life. I could no longer concentrate on work or kids and my relationships were suffering. I couldn’t sleep during the phases when anxiety hit, and it was taking a toll on my physical health, too. I then decided to do something about it. Apart from seeking therapy, I also read a lot online. I figured out that distraction and calming techniques were my only options. I thus turned to yoga and meditation and it worked well. Yoga and meditation have a calming effect on me and help me sail through most days. There are still anxious episodes but I distract myself with painting or crochet. Crafting works well to distract me, and once I am calmer, I count my blessings and practice affirmations. Writing a gratitude journal has also been a loyal companion.” – Smriti, Yogic-Experience.com
When to See a Therapist for Anxiety
Although quotes are informing, they fail to substitute for anxiety therapy that’s tailored to suit your needs and help you accomplish the goals set out by you and your therapist. If you’re ready to see a therapist today, search an online therapist directory where you can find anxiety specialists in your area.
