Stop The Fear Cycle: Somatic Tracking For Anxiety Relief

Anxiety often feels intense not because something is wrong, but because the brain has turned up its internal “volume knob” to get your attention. In this brief talk, you’ll learn why anxious sensation get amplified, and how your response to them can gently guide the nervous system back toward safety.

We’ll explore how turning away from uncomfortable sensations can inadvertently signal danger, increasing their intensity—while turning toward them with steadiness and curiosity helps the brain settle into safety. This is the core of somatic tracking: creating a calm, supportive presence so the body can learn that it's indeed safe.

If you experience anxiety, panic, or chronic mind–body symptoms, this talk offers a clear, compassionate explanation of what’s happening internally and why this approach can be so relieving.

Transcript

When your brain interprets the sensation of anxiety as dangerous,

It flips on its own internal amplification system.

Think of this amplifier as a volume knob.

The more it gets turned up,

The stronger the sensation of anxiety becomes.

In every signal,

Tightness,

Fluttering,

Heat gets turned up so that you'll pay attention and notice that there's a threat.

This is a survival reflex,

Not a sign that something is actually wrong.

In the moment when you notice anxiety,

You have options.

If you turn away from the sensation,

Trying to distract or suppress,

The brain reads this as confirmation.

That avoidance increases the sensation of anxiety,

Which in turn makes us more fearful,

And so on and on the cycle goes.

But there is another option.

You can turn toward the sensation and show your brain,

Through the way you respond,

That this sensation is safe to feel.

When you interact with it gently and with presence,

The brain turns the amplification system down and the intensity of the sensation decreases.

The brain learns,

Oh,

This is safe.

It's actually not dangerous.

We can turn the volume knob down here.

In other words,

How you respond to the sensation of anxiety directly shapes the outcome.

Another way to frame this is to imagine a distressed infant crying in their crib.

What would be your natural instinct here?

If they're crying distressed and upset,

You're going to turn towards them,

Pick them up,

Soothe them,

Understand what it is that they need.

And through that process,

They will quiet down.

They will become calm because you have soothed them.

If you chose to walk away from them,

They would scream louder in order to get your attention.

Anxiety works in just the same way.

Your anxiety needs a parent,

Not a protector who fights it off,

But rather a caregiver who stays present,

Curious,

And can provide soothing.

This is where somatic tracking comes in.

It's a gentle tool that over time will teach you to turn towards the sensation of anxiety with curiosity and grounding so you can turn the volume down on your internal amplification system.

Reviews

I loved the analogy of how we would react to a crying infant. I look forward to offering myself this gentle attention and care in anxious moments. Thank you