Have you ever had a sudden rush of anxiety – one minute you were watching TV then suddenly a feeling of doom and racing heart? Next thing is your mind latches on with thoughts like “am I unwell, it’s a panic attack, my heart is racing”. The sudden palpitations or dizzy spell feel like an alarm. And once that alarm goes off, your brain starts looking for danger. If you’ve ever felt like your body is ramping up panic out of nowhere you aren’t imagining it.  The first step in overcoming the fear is understanding what’s going on.  So, lets talk about interoception.

The Sixth Sense You Didn’t Know You Had

We’re all taught about the big five senses at school: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. But we actually have a secret sixth sense: interoception. Interoception is your body’s internal sense. It’s the collection of receptors in your organs, your heart, lungs, stomach, and bladder, that send signals back to your brain to tell it what’s going on inside. It’s the reason you know you’re hungry, the reason you know you need to go to the loo, and the reason you can feel your heart beating faster when you’re excited. In a perfectly balanced world, this system works like a dream. But when we struggle with anxiety, the sense sometimes goes a bit haywire.

The Danger Glitch

The problem isn’t usually the physical sensation itself; it’s how our brain interprets it. Our brains are hardwired for survival. When your interoception picks up a slight spike in your heart rate or a change in your breathing pattern, it asks the brain, “Is this okay?” If you’re already feeling a bit stressed, maybe you’re worried about a meeting or struggling with hormones from the menopause, your brain might jump to the worst-case scenario. It treats that racing heart like there is danger. Suddenly, your “fight or flight” system kicks in. Adrenaline floods your system, which makes your heart beat even faster, which makes your brain even more convinced there’s a threat. It’s a loop that can lead straight into a panic attack or a spiral of health anxiety. I had an experience with this a few years ago.  One evening I was sat at home when I suddenly felt extremely anxious.  I had no idea why, my day hadn’t been particularly stressful and things felt good in my life.  The next day I woke up feeling very unwell and tested positive for COVID 19.  Looking back I can see that evening I probably was starting to get a fever or something felt a bit off in my body and although I wasn’t consciously aware of it, it spiked anxiety.

The Science Bit

Your amygdala is the part of the brain that acts like an alarm system. Its job is to spot possible danger and get your body ready quickly. Very useful if there’s an actual problem. Less useful when the “danger” is a normal body sensation like a skipped beat, tight chest, or sudden wave of heat. Once the amygdala decides something might be wrong, it sets off the threat loop:

1. You notice a body sensation.
2. Your brain labels it as dangerous.
3. Your body releases more stress chemicals.
4. The sensation gets stronger.
5. Your brain takes that as proof that something is wrong.

Round and round it goes. So if your heart races and then races even more, that does not automatically mean something terrible is happening. Often, it means your alarm system has got a bit overprotective. Anxiety is a messenger but sometimes it delivers the wrong information. That’s why learning to respond differently matters so much. You’re not trying to “win” against your body. You’re teaching your brain that discomfort does not always equal danger. It’s also worth checking in if any lifestyle factors are contributing to the physical sensations, for example too  much caffeine or too little sleep.

Why This Matters for Social Anxiety

I see this a lot in my work as a social anxiety counsellor. You’re at a party or in a meeting, and you feel a tiny bit of heat in your cheeks or a slight tremor in your hands. Because of interoception, you are hyper-aware of these feelings. You think, “Everyone can see I’m shaking,” or “My voice is going to crack.” This internal focus makes the sensation feel ten times bigger than it actually is. You become a detective, constantly monitoring your own body for signs of “failing” socially, which, ironically, makes the anxiety worse.

HOW I WORK WITH THIS IN THERAPY

So, how do we work with this? In therapy, I usually draw from three approaches depending on what you need.

1. Person-Centred Therapy

Before we challenge anything, we need a space where you can stop bracing. If you’ve been living on high alert, you might be used to minimising what you feel or telling yourself to “just get on with it.” In Person-Centred Therapy, the focus is on being heard properly, without judgement and without being rushed. That safe harbour helps your nervous system settle enough to notice what’s really going on. Sometimes the first shift is simply this: “I’m not broken. I’m overwhelmed.”

2. CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

CBT for anxiety is brilliant for catching those danger thoughts. When your heart starts racing, instead of thinking, “I’m in danger,” we practice saying, “My heart is beating fast because I’ve had a busy day and my nervous system is a bit revved up. It’s just a sensation, not a threat.” It’s about changing the story you tell yourself about your body. You aren’t “broken”; your body is just being a bit over-enthusiastic about its job of keeping you alive.

3. ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)

ACT is slightly different. Instead of trying to change the thought, we change our relationship with it. We learn to “drop the anchor” in the middle of the emotional storm. Instead of fighting the racing heart (which just adds more stress), we acknowledge it. “Oh, there’s that thumping feeling again. Hello, thumping feeling. You’re allowed to be there.” That’s not giving up. It’s strength. You’re showing your brain that you can handle a sensation without spiralling or running. And you’re probably stronger than you give yourself credit for.

Leaning into the Discomfort

This is the part that feels most counter-intuitive, and I’ll be honest, I struggled with this myself for a long time. The way to make the sensation lose its power is to lean into the discomfort. When we try to run away from a racing heart or a tight chest, we tell our brain that these things are dangerous. This reinforces the fear. When we sit with the feeling, maybe even say to ourselves, “Okay heart, beat as fast as you want, I’m just going to finish my tea”, we teach our brain that there is no danger.   One question to ask yourself is “if I wasn’t feeling anxious right now what would I be doing?” – then as much as possible go and do that thing. Leaning into the physical feeling is where the growth happens. It’s how you build resilience. You start to realise that you can be uncomfortable and safe at the same time.

A Little “Homework” for You

Try this today:

1. Check-in: Three times today, stop and ask yourself, “What can I feel inside right now?” Maybe it’s the weight of your feet on the floor, the coolness of the air as you breathe in, or your knee feels a bit stiff.
2. Neutral Naming: Name the sensation without judging it. Instead of “I feel anxious,” try “I feel a tightness in my chest.”
3. Breath Awareness: Notice your breath without trying to change it. Is it shallow? Is it deep? Just notice.

Summary & Takeaways

• Interoception is your “inner sense” that monitors bodily signals.
• Anxiety can cause the brain to misinterpret normal signals, like a racing heart, as danger.
• Your amygdala acts like an alarm system, and the threat loop can keep anxiety going even when you’re actually safe.
• The Goal: Move from being a “detective” (searching for what’s wrong) to an “observer” (noticing what’s happening).
• The Shift: You can be uncomfortable and still be safe.
• The Reminder: You’re stronger than you think, even if your nervous system has been shouting lately.

  P.S. If you want more tips try my free resources to help anxiety.