A persistent activation, often experienced as tightening in the chest or gut. Typically arrives without a clear or specific object — which distinguishes it from [[Afraid]], which has an identifiable source. Anxiety hovers and accumulates rather than pointing cleanly at one thing. Distinct from [[Dread]], which carries a heavier, more settled quality. Distinct from [[Restless]], which is more mobile and surface-level. ## What it commonly points toward - [[Need - Safety]] - [[Need - Certainty]] - [[Need - Autonomy]] - [[Need - To Be Seen]] - [[Need - Understanding]] - [[Need - Ease]] ## Working with this feeling Because anxiety lacks a clear object it is particularly prone to misattribution — attaching to whatever is most available in the environment rather than its actual source. Before acting, the useful question is whether the anxiety is pointing at something present and real, or whether it is an older activation being triggered by current circumstances. Anxiety also tends to amplify when dwelt in rather than observed. The [[Focusing - Gendlin]] approach — staying with the felt sense without diving into it — is often more useful than analysis. ## Related feelings [[Overwhelmed]] | [[Dread]] | [[Restless]] [[Afraid]] | [[Disconnected]] ## Related notes [[The Pause Protocol]] | [[Focusing - Gendlin]] [[Brake and Accelerator Model]]