How to Know When You’re Feeling Anxiety: Signs Women Miss

Anxiety doesn’t always begin with a thought. Most women I work with feel it in their bodies long before they notice it in their minds. This is especially true for high-achieving women who hold a lot, push through everything, and feel responsible for everyone around them.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Anxiety can become so normal that you stop noticing it. Your body has been signaling it for years, but you’ve just adapted to it.
This post walks through the real signs of anxiety, why it’s easy to miss them, what you can do to help your body feel safe again, and how anxiety therapy can help.

Early Physical Signs of Anxiety

One of the first places anxiety shows up is in your body. These shifts are often small, but they matter.

You might feel a tightness in your chest and assume you’re just tired. When you open a text or email, your stomach might drop or feel nauseous even if the message isn’t serious. You might feel tension in your shoulders creeping up toward your jaw. Or maybe you notice your breathing getting shallow, like you can’t catch a full breath no matter what you do.

Your body often tries to get your attention before your mind does. It’s your nervous system saying, “Something feels off,” even if you can’t name what the “something” is.

When Your Thoughts Start Moving Faster

Anxiety also changes how your mind works.

You may not feel panicked, but your thoughts start moving quicker. You refresh your calendar or email again because you’re convinced you missed something. You rehearse conversations before they happen. Or you replay a conversation you already had and wonder whether you sounded awkward.

This mental overdrive is a sign that your brain is trying to prepare for every outcome because it doesn’t feel safe.

How Anxiety Shows Up in Relationships

Anxiety doesn’t stay inside your head. It impacts the people you love.

For many women, anxiety shows up as irritability or snappiness—not because you're angry, but because your body is overwhelmed. You might apologize repeatedly for things you didn’t do wrong because you’re scared of being misunderstood. You might say “yes” when you don’t have the capacity because you don’t want anyone to think negatively of you.

You may hold back your needs because you don’t want to burden anyone. But keeping everything inside only fuels more anxiety. Your nervous system feels the pressure of carrying everything alone.

The Outward Signs You’re Overwhelmed

When anxiety has been building for a while, it starts affecting your actions.

You might put off eating because it feels like it takes more energy than you have. You might stare at your computer screen, unsure of what to write. You might want to respond to a text but feel too overwhelmed to type anything at all.

You’re functioning, but you’re not really present. This is often the point where women start to realize something deeper is happening, but by then, anxiety has already taken over.

Why It’s Hard to Notice You’re Anxious

So many women miss the early signs of anxiety because they’ve survived this way for years. When you’ve lived in survival mode, the signs of anxiety begin to feel normal. You adapt. You stay productive. You push through.

This doesn’t mean it’s healthy for your nervous system. It’s too much pressure for your body to always be on alert. You deserve to live in a way that doesn’t require constant bracing.

What to Do When You Notice the Signs

The goal isn’t to make anxiety disappear or to force yourself to keep pushing.

The first step is slowing down.

Your body needs to feel safe. It needs to trust that you will take care of it. That might look like taking a break, drinking water, feeding yourself, or getting more sleep. Sleep and anxiety often impact each other, which can make both harder—but caring for your basic needs sends your nervous system the message that you’re paying attention.

Anxiety is trying to tell you something. Instead of trying to shut it down, you can pause and ask, “What do I need right now?” Sometimes the answer is rest. Sometimes the answer is reassurance. Sometimes the answer is noticing that your nervous system is reacting even if nothing dangerous is happening.

How Anxiety Therapy in Utah Can Help

Anxiety therapy can help you understand why your anxiety shows up the way it does. At Maple Canyon Therapy, together, we look at what triggers it, why certain situations make you spiral, and how to respond more compassionately to yourself.

The goal isn’t to fight anxiety. The goal is to understand it so you can respond differently. Over time, the physical symptoms lessen, your thoughts feel slower, and you can connect with what you need instead of pushing yourself past your limits.

If you’re noticing these signs in your own life and you want support, I offer anxiety therapy in Utah for women who feel overwhelmed, even when they look completely fine on the outside.

Begin Working with an Anxiety Therapist in Utah

Getting help for anxiety doesn’t have to feel confusing. I follow a simple, supportive three-step process so you always know what to expect and never feel alone in it.

1. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
This is a low-pressure first step where you can share what’s been going on, ask questions, and get a sense of whether working together feels right.

2. Get a personalized plan that makes sense for your life.
If we decide to move forward, we’ll create a plan together that fits your needs, your capacity, and your goals. We’ll look at what anxiety looks like in your day-to-day life, what triggers it, and what your nervous system needs to feel safer and more supported.

3. Feel more connected, calmer, and less overwhelmed.
As therapy progresses, you’ll start to recognize your anxiety earlier, respond to yourself with more compassion, and stop carrying everything alone.

Online Therapy in Utah: Why It Works So Well for Anxiety

Online therapy in Utah can be extremely effective for anxiety because it removes many of the barriers that make seeking help harder. You don’t have to commute, rearrange your day, or sit in a waiting room while you’re already feeling stretched thin. You can meet from a space where you feel safe, your home, your office, or even your parked car. Many women find it easier to open up when they’re in a comfortable environment, and that comfort helps the nervous system settle, making sessions more effective. Online therapy also gives you flexibility, consistency, and a sense of calm that supports the work we do together. When your body feels safer, your mind can process more clearly, and your anxiety begins to loosen its grip.

I provide anxiety therapy for women across all of Utah, including St. George, Salt Lake City, Cedar City, Logan, Provo, Heber City, and more. My practice is fully online; you can get support no matter where you live.

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the founder of Maple Canyon Therapy, a Utah-based online counseling practice specializing in anxiety disorders, body image concerns, and disordered eating recovery. Ashlee holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Utah State University and has extensive experience providing mental health treatment across multiple levels of care, including outpatient, intensive outpatient, residential, and inpatient settings.

Ashlee has specialized training in anxiety treatment, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based approaches for eating disorders. She has worked with diverse adult populations throughout Utah, offering assessment, diagnosis, and individualized treatment planning for women experiencing high-functioning anxiety, chronic stress, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and body image distress.

With more than a decade of experience in the mental health field, Ashlee’s work focuses on helping clients understand the nervous system, reduce anxiety-driven behaviors, and build emotional resilience. Through Maple Canyon Therapy, she provides online anxiety therapy in Utah to increase accessibility for women across the state, serving clients in St. George, Salt Lake City, Cedar City, Ogden, Logan, Provo, and surrounding areas.

Ashlee is committed to ethical, evidence-based practice and ongoing professional development to ensure high-quality, research-informed care.