Understanding Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the first step toward breaking free from the grip of constant worry. While everyone experiences anxiety at times, GAD goes beyond typical stress. It’s a persistent, excessive worry that can interfere with daily life—and often shows up without a clear reason. As an anxiety counselor in Woodland Hills, I treat people who are dealing with GAD; some have struggled for years without knowing why, others undertake regular ongoing care in order to manage their GAD in ways that are supportive to them.

What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

GAD is a mental health condition marked by ongoing, uncontrollable worry about everyday things. Those who are living with Generalized Anxiety Disorder often find it difficult to “turn off” their concerns, even when there’s no immediate threat or problem. This type of anxiety can feel like a constant background noise—always buzzing in the mind. It can lead to feelings of isolation, as you feel misunderstood (or worry that you will be) and don’t know how to navigate relationships while navigating the anxiety. Concerns about being taken seriously, or about “being a burden”, can cause those who have GAD to pull away from loved ones and social opportunities.

What Triggers GAD?

While triggers vary from person to person, common ones include:

• Major life changes or uncertainty about what might occur.
• Ongoing stress at work, school, or in relationships.
• Health concerns—either personal or about loved ones’ health.
• Perfectionism or fear of failure.
• Past experiences of trauma or instability.

3 Practical Approaches to Managing GAD

1 – Identify and Track Your Worries

You can’t fix what you can’t see. It is always best to have an idea of what is troubling you so that you have a starting point when it comes to addressing your anxieties. GAD can co-exist with other disorders, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder, as well as chronic pain conditions and other physical manifestations. Being able to evaluate symptoms and their manifestations can make things clearer for you.

• Keep a worry journal. Write down when worries happen, what they’re about, and how you respond. You may attend in-person or online anxiety therapy; this is a good place to explore what you uncover and how you feel about it. Over time, you may see patterns emerge that you are able to address through changing your routine, adjusting your expectations, giving yourself more time, and other behavioral adaptations. You may also identify that some worries are rooted in past experiences and unhealed wounds. And yes, there will be times when your worries seem impractical, and only there to torture you.
  
• Use your worry journal as a resource. Keeping track of your worries builds awareness and helps you separate real concerns from anxious thinking patterns. It can also be a helpful resource when you are struggling with anxiety; looking back at what you have tracked and the conclusions you have come to through careful consideration can help you to refocus when you are triggered. It can relieve some pressure to know that you have made a note somewhere and don’t have to solely rely on your memory to help you work through your anxiety.

2 – Practice Grounding Techniques

When your thoughts and emotions begin to get away from you, you may experience a disconnection from your body. In order to return to the feeling of being present, it is essential to root yourself in the present moment. Grounding techniques can have a beneficial impact on how you feel in your body and how you re-balance yourself during and after experiencing anxiety.

• Use your senses. Bring yourself back to the present with sensory-based strategies. Utilizing your senses can help you to zero in on the present moment, as what you can observe is what is happening around you in real time. You aren’t likely to imagine you can hear something; really listening to your surroundings to take in what you hear helps bring your focus out of your thoughts. Don’t underestimate the power of a comforting smell, or a familiar image, to help you to regulate how you are feeling and what you are experiencing.
  
• Try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, and 1 you taste. If you are able, name them aloud, and repeat them if needed. You may begin with short observations, such as: “Pen. Plant. Desk. Phone. Stapler.” As you begin to experience more calm in your body you might try to expand on what you see: “A red pen. My cactus plant. A brown desk. My cell phone. A black stapler.” Even further, you might say: “I see a red pen with its lid on. I see a small cactus plant in a terra cotta planter…” etc. You may expand your descriptions as you begin to feel more calm, if it helps you to describe in more detail. Or you may find short, one-word lists to be the most helpful. Experiment with what helps you take the most note of your surroundings and put that method into practice for yourself.
  
• Be consistent in your grounding practice. Grounding reduces racing thoughts and anchors you in the moment. In our Woodland Hills anxiety therapy sessions, we see how taking note of the present can stymie racing thoughts and emotions. The more grounded you feel, the more calm you are able to experience in your daily life. You may choose to use your senses, such as with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, or you may choose to set aside time for deep breathing, or guided meditations.

3 – Reframe “What If” Thoughts

Concern about “what might happen” is brought up often in our sessions for anxiety therapy in Woodland Hills. Of course, in this life, it is always helpful to be prepared for what might come. The difference between being prepared is how the preparation impacts your life. Considering that there might be traffic, so it would be best to leave early, is one thing. Catastrophizing is another.

• Take control of the narrative. When anxious thoughts begin with “What if…”, challenge them gently. You might ask yourself what the odds are that that will happen, or if there is anything you are seeing or experiencing that causes you to believe that it’s a possibility. For example, you might ask yourself, “Am I able to observe a reason for this concern?” This can be a helpful question, because it helps you to differentiate between intrusive anxiety and diligence. If you are observing that a big chef’s knife is near the edge of the counter, and you are worried it will fall, you can see that the worry you are experiencing comes from something you are seeing that has a solution. If you aren’t able to observe a reason for anxiety, you may have uncovered an unhealed phobia or wound that you could bring up in therapy.
  
• Ask yourself: “Is this worry helpful or just habitual?” Much like the observation of the kitchen knife versus the worry that seemed to bubble up from nowhere, give space for some worries to be helpful. While worry is distressing and irritating, it can also benefit you when it is grounded in a real situation. When you are able, on the other hand, to categorize a worry as habitual, it is more straightforward to set it aside.
  
• Make deliberate substitutions. Replace worries with more balanced thoughts like: “I’ve handled tough situations before—I can handle this too.” This kind of thought doesn’t dismiss what you are struggling with, but rather, honors what you are experiencing and the work you’ve done to build your confidence. It doesn’t give you an immediate deadline for “getting over it”, but rather cheers you on as you sit in the anxiety and implement your toolkit to bring yourself back to your body.

Key Takeaways

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder can impact people in all walks of life; you can be blessed in many ways and still struggle with GAD.
• There are other mental health disorders that can coexist with GAD, such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• Those who experience GAD may also suffer from physical symptoms, like pain or discomfort with no clear medical cause, and/or insomnia.
• Confronting your anxiety can help you to manage it. Track your worries and be honest about what they are rooted in. Be patient with yourself.
• Practice grounding techniques that connect you with your body to keep from getting carried away in your thoughts and/or emotions.
• Be aware of the stories your thoughts are telling you, and be intentional about gently rewriting those narratives.
• Remember that Generalized Anxiety Disorder can impact people in a variety of ways, which means that you may have to utilize different tools in order to manage it. Some trial and error will be needed to work out what system is best for you, and your needs will likely change over time.

Anxiety Therapy at Embracing You Therapy

Do you often feel overwhelmed by constant worry or stress? Are you struggling to manage life transitions, maintain a healthy work-life balance, or set boundaries with others?

Through Anxiety Therapy in Woodland Hills, CA, you can learn practical tools like CBT and mindfulness strategies to help you regulate your emotions, shift unhelpful thought patterns, and build healthier behaviors that support your overall well-being.

Contact us today for your complimentary 20-minute phone consultation with our Admin Team today!