About this session
Stress and anxiety do not exist only in the mind. They can change breathing, muscle tension, digestion, temperature, alertness and heart rate.
For some people, one of the most noticeable symptoms is a racing or pounding heartbeat, which can itself become frightening and create another layer of anxiety.
This session helps participants understand the relationship between stress, anxiety and physical activation without assuming that every physical symptom has a psychological cause.
Participants learn how the stress response can affect the body, how fear of the sensation can intensify it and how to respond in a way that reduces escalation.
Participants then practice short regulation strategies, learn how to distinguish a familiar stress pattern from symptoms that need medical attention and build a personal response plan.
The goal is neither to panic about every bodily change nor to dismiss symptoms as 'just stress,' but to respond with greater calm, awareness and appropriate caution.
What your people take away
- Understand how stress and anxiety can affect heart rate and other physical sensations
- Recognize how fear of bodily symptoms can intensify the stress response
- Use practical breathing, grounding and attention strategies when physical activation rises
- Avoid automatically dismissing physical symptoms as 'just anxiety'
- Know when new, severe or persistent symptoms should be medically assessed
Shared with you
See the full session
Create your free Workbliss profile to see the rest of this outline and book it. It takes a minute, with your work email.
- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
- Everything that’s covered, part by part
- Book online, and browse 1,500+ more sessions for your teams
Already a member? Sign in
What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Understand the Physical Stress ResponseA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Understand the Physical Stress Response: see how stress affects the body, map your familiar physical signals and notice the context.
- See how stress affects the body
- Map your familiar physical signals
- Notice the context
Covers 3 of 4 points in Understand the Physical Stress Response.
60 minutes
60 Minutes — Module 1: Understand the Physical Stress ResponseParticipants learn how stress and anxiety can affect the body, including heart rate and breathing, and identify their own familiar patterns of physical activation.
- Module 1: Understand the Physical Stress Response
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Understand the Physical Stress Response.
90 minutes
90 Minutes — Modules 1 and 2: Stop the Fear-Sensation SpiralEverything in the 60-minute session, plus practical work on how noticing a racing heart can trigger catastrophic thoughts, further activation and increased symptom awareness.
- Module 1: Understand the Physical Stress Response
- Module 2: Stop the Fear-Sensation Spiral
- Physical stress-response mapping exercise
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Understand the Physical Stress Response and Stop the Fear-Sensation Spiral.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Understand the Physical Stress Response, Stop the Fear-Sensation Spiral and Regulate Without Ignoring the Body.
Full day
Full Day — Full Stress, Anxiety and Physical Symptoms WorkshopFull coverage of all four modules with physical-response mapping, regulation practice, symptom-response scenarios and personal planning. Participants leave with a practical 30-day physical stress-response plan.
- Module 1: Understand the Physical Stress Response
- Module 2: Stop the Fear-Sensation Spiral
- Module 3: Regulate Without Ignoring the Body
- Module 4: Build a Safe and Practical Response Plan
- Real workplace and everyday scenarios
- 30-day personal response plan
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Understand the Physical Stress Response
Every length- See how stress affects the bodyParticipants explore how the stress response can increase heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension and alertness.
- Map your familiar physical signalsParticipants identify the sensations they commonly notice during stress, such as a pounding heart, tight chest, shaky hands, sweating or light-headedness.
- Notice the contextParticipants identify what tends to happen before physical activation rises, such as conflict, public speaking, deadlines, caffeine, lack of sleep or prolonged pressure.
- Avoid the 'it must be nothing' assumptionParticipants practice holding two possibilities at once.
Stop the Fear-Sensation Spiral
90 minutes and longer- Notice the first interpretationParticipants identify thoughts that may appear when the heart starts racing, such as 'something is seriously wrong' or 'I am losing control.' They notice the thought as part of the response rather than automatically treating it as confirmed fact.
- See how fear can add more activationParticipants explore how becoming frightened by a bodily sensation can increase arousal, which can make the heartbeat, breathing or tension feel even stronger.
- Reduce repeated body checkingParticipants identify whether they repeatedly check their pulse, breathing or physical sensations during familiar anxiety episodes and practice shifting attention outward once they have made an appropriate safety check.
- Use balanced self-talkParticipants practice responses such as 'this may be stress, but I can pay attention to what my body is doing and seek help if something is new or concerning.' The language avoids both catastrophic thinking and false reassurance.
Regulate Without Ignoring the Body
3 hours and longer- Slow the breath gentlyParticipants practice slower, comfortable breathing without forcing unusually deep breaths.
- Ground through the sensesParticipants use contact with the chair, floor, sounds or visible objects to shift some attention away from internal monitoring.
- Reduce stimulation where possibleParticipants identify when stepping away from intense conversation, excessive caffeine, rushing or continuous digital input may help lower activation.
- Know when to stop self-managingParticipants learn that new, severe, unusual or persistent symptoms—especially chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath or symptoms that feel medically concerning—should be assessed appropriately rather than managed indefinitely as anxiety.
Build a Safe and Practical Response Plan
Full day only- Write down your familiar patternParticipants record the situations, sensations and responses they already recognize as part of their stress pattern.
- Create a first-response sequenceParticipants build a simple sequence such as pause, assess what is happening, reduce stimulation, use regulation and decide whether the symptom is settling or needs additional support.
- Identify who can helpParticipants identify appropriate support such as a manager, trusted colleague, healthcare professional or emergency service depending on the situation.
- Do not normalize persistent symptomsParticipants recognize that recurring or worsening physical symptoms deserve proper assessment even if stress is present.
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later. Need it sooner? Email hello@workbliss.ai and we’ll see what we can do.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Stress, Anxiety and a Racing Heart
How long is Stress, Anxiety and a Racing Heart?
Stress, Anxiety and a Racing Heart runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Understand the Physical Stress Response: see how stress affects the body, map your familiar physical signals and notice the context. A 60-minute session covers Understand the Physical Stress Response in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Stop the Fear-Sensation Spiral. A 3-hour session adds Regulate Without Ignoring the Body. A full-day session adds Build a Safe and Practical Response Plan. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Stress, Anxiety and a Racing Heart be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Stress, Anxiety and a Racing Heart?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Stress, Anxiety and a Racing Heart to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later. Need it sooner? Email hello@workbliss.ai and we’ll see what we can do.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.