How to Stop Shaking from Anxiety: Anxiety Tremors and How to Treat Them

Nearly one third of adults in the US suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Anxiety manifests itself in many different ways. It can be minor to completely debilitating. Some anxiety is displayed through physical symptoms that can be embarrassing and difficult to deal with. Anxiety tremors are one of these symptoms.

Anxiety Overview

Anxiety can be a healthy response everyone experiences from time to time. When it’s constant or felt in unnecessary situations, it can become a problem. 

Anxiety is your fight or flight response that is used as a protective mechanism when you perceive danger. It serves a very important purpose and protects you when necessary. 

Anxiety disorders are when your fight or flight response is stuck in the “on” position. Your mind and body remain on high alert for hours, days, weeks, or even months at a time when you face no real threat. 

How Your Brain Reacts to Stress

Processing and controlling emotions largely takes place within your limbic system. The limbic system is composed of four parts of the brain: 

• Amygdala
• Hippocampus
• Hypothalamus
• Thalamus 

How does this related to anxiety tremors? The amygdala determines if you're in danger. If it senses a threat, it sends a signal to the hypothalamus to "go." This means the hypothalamus will release the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine (aka adrenaline).

These hormones make you alert and prepared to fight or flee. It’s a helpful response when there is an actual threat. 

Someone with anxiety has an overactive limbic system, making them feel like they’re fighting for their lives in ordinary, benign situations. It can feel like you’re running from a bear when really you’re just hanging out with your friends.

Why Anxiety Causes Shaking

The limbic system is an old system intended to keep you safe when your life is in danger. In our more modern world, we don’t often encounter threats and danger in the same way or as frequently as humans used to. 

Nonetheless those with anxiety live in constant “go mode”. When your brain is at high alert, so is your body. 

Physical symptoms of anxiety can include: 

• Sweating 
• Muscle tension
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Feeling awake and alert
• Shaking

Shaking from anxiety is caused by adrenaline. It’s what makes you move in the face of danger by heightening your senses and improving reaction time.

All that energy has to go somewhere, and for some people, its outlet is through tremors in the hands or the body. While the person experiencing the shaking and tremors caused by anxiety can feel them intensely, they may not be both visible to others. 

Psychogenic tremors, or anxiety tremors, are harmless but can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Knowing how to calm yourself down and relax your body and mind can help manage these. 

Anxiety can also exacerbate other tremor disorders. An essential tremor is a neurological tremor condition that leads to involuntary shaking and can be further aggravated by anxiety.

Common Triggers for Anxiety Tremors

An anxiety episode doesn’t guarantee that someone will have anxiety tremors, but it is common. What triggers anxiety will also trigger the physical symptoms, like tremors.

Sometimes anxiety seems to happen out of nowhere. Sometimes, things other consider ordinary, like going to a party or talking to your boss, can cause you to go into fight or flight mode. Because the shaking is a physical byproduct of this reaction, it can happen anytime you feel anxiety.

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Ways to Stop Shaking from Anxiety

To stop any anxiety shaking or trembling, you really just need to treat the root of the problem—the anxiety. Thankfully, anxiety is very treatable. 

Immediate Strategies

Treating anxiety is all about learning to get yourself out of high alert and calm your body and mind. Breath work can help calm you, ground you, and allow you to focus on something other than the stressor.

Journaling, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and guided imagery are other mindfulness and relaxation activities that work for many people. 

Lifestyle factors can also help or contribute to anxiety. Daily exercise, good sleep habits, kicking nicotine, and limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake can all help to keep anxiety at bay. 

Long-Term Treatments

Therapy for anxiety is very effective in helping treat and manage anxiety. Typically, therapists will use different types of talk therapy like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help clients identify the thoughts and feelings that contribute to their anxiety. Clients can learn how to manage triggers and calm themselves when anxious.

Medication is another part of treatment for some people with anxiety disorders. Your therapist and/or doctor can help you find the right one that helps you regulate your emotions with  minimal to no side effects.

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Anxiety Treatments

If you are battling anxiety, mild or severe, you are not alone. Many others are silently fighting the same battle, and many others are getting treated and you can too.

If you are ready to take control of your life back from the hands of anxiety, the experience and thoughtful team at Inner Balance Counseling can help guide and support you on your journey. 

Reach out. Show up. Feel better.

Learn More

Read our full guide on anxiety to learn more about the common types, symptoms, causes, and treatments.