# @newstalknewengland on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Da5qZF9uEnl
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67961662-newstalknewengland-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/4f6a59a97b.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-17T16:38:08.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** NewsTalk New England (@newstalknewengland) — https://gondola.cc/newstalknewengland

## Caption

Ever have anxiety hit so hard that your body just... takes over?

One minute you're walking through the grocery store, sitting at a baseball game, or standing in line at a football stadium. The next, your heart is racing, your breathing changes, your vision narrows, and before you even realize it, you're running on autopilot.

You smile when you don't feel like smiling. You nod through conversations you barely hear. You rush to get out of the store. You scan every exit. You replay every interaction in your mind. Your body is trying to protect you, even when there isn't real danger.

If you've experienced this, you're not alone.

Autopilot is your brain's way of saying, "I need to survive this moment." But surviving isn't the same as living.

So how do you shift out of autopilot?

Start by reminding yourself where you are. Quietly name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Bring yourself back to the present.

Slow your breathing. Inhale through your nose for four seconds. Hold for four. Exhale slowly for six. Repeat. Your body often follows your breath.

Plant your feet firmly on the ground. Feel the floor beneath you. Wiggle your toes inside your shoes. Hold onto your shopping cart, your seat, or even your keys. Give your mind something real to focus on.

Most importantly, remind yourself:

"This is anxiety. It feels overwhelming, but it is temporary. I am safe. I can get through this."

You don't have to win the battle all at once. Sometimes the victory is simply staying in the moment for another minute instead of letting anxiety make every decision for you.

Progress isn't measured by never feeling anxious. It's measured by choosing, one small moment at a time, to come back to yourself.

If today was hard, give yourself grace. If you made it through, even if no one else noticed, that's still a victory worth celebrating.

Keep showing up. Keep breathing. Keep reminding yourself that you are stronger than your anxiety wants you to believe.

#MentalHealth #AnxietySupport #YouAreNotAlone

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## Tags

youarenotalone, anxietysupport, mentalhealth

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