Anxiety doesn’t only affect your thoughts. It can create very real physical reactions, including trembling, muscle tension, sweating, a racing heart, and feeling as though your body is difficult to control. If you’re wondering how to stop shaking from anxiety, the first step is recognizing that shaking can be part of your body’s response to stress and fear. Trembling is also a recognized symptom of panic attacks and some anxiety disorders.
In this resource, we will cover:
- Why anxiety can make you shake
- Ways to calm anxiety-related trembling in the moment
- When recurring shaking may signal a need for professional support
While you may not be able to make shaking disappear instantly, calming your breathing, grounding yourself, and reducing physical tension may help your nervous system settle.
Why Does Anxiety Make You Shake?
Anxiety can cause shaking because emotional stress can trigger physical changes throughout the body.1 During periods of intense fear or anxiety, you may notice trembling alongside a pounding heart, sweating, chills, dizziness, shortness of breath, or muscle tension. The National Institute of Mental Health lists trembling as one of the physical symptoms that can occur during panic attacks.2
You might notice shaking in your:
- Hands or fingers
- Arms or legs
- Jaw
- Voice
- Entire body
The sensation may be mild enough that only you notice it, or it may become visible to other people. For some people, worrying about the shaking itself can add another layer of anxiety, particularly in social or professional situations.
Shaking isn’t always caused by anxiety, however. Tremors can have other causes, including certain medications or medical conditions.3 If shaking is new, unexplained, persistent, or happens when you don’t feel anxious, consider discussing it with a healthcare professional rather than assuming anxiety is responsible.
How to Stop Shaking From Anxiety in the Moment
If anxiety is causing you to tremble, focus first on helping your body move out of an escalating state of stress. You don’t need to force yourself to “calm down.” Instead, try giving your nervous system simple cues that gradually reduce the moment’s intensity.
Slow your breathing
Breathing slowly and gently can be a useful strategy when anxiety begins to rise. The National Health Service recommends allowing the breath to move comfortably into the belly, breathing gently through the nose and out through the mouth, and maintaining a slow, regular rhythm.4
Try breathing in slowly, then allowing your exhale to remain equally slow and relaxed. Avoid forcing an unusually deep breath if that feels uncomfortable.
Ground yourself in your surroundings
When anxiety pulls your attention toward frightening thoughts or uncomfortable sensations, grounding techniques can help redirect attention toward the present.
You might notice the feeling of your feet against the floor, identify objects in the room, or focus on sounds around you. The goal is not to fight the anxiety but to reconnect with what is happening around you right now.
Release unnecessary muscle tension
Anxiety can make the body feel rigid or braced for danger. As you breathe, notice whether you’re clenching your jaw, raising your shoulders, gripping your hands, or tightening your legs. Purposefully allowing those areas to soften may make the shaking feel less overwhelming.
These strategies can help with an acute episode, but frequent shaking may require a broader approach to anxiety management.
Treating Persistent Anxiety at Amend Treatment
When anxiety symptoms have become difficult to manage through outpatient therapy or self-directed coping strategies alone, a more structured environment can create room for deeper therapeutic work.
At Amend Treatment, we provide individualized residential mental health treatment at our two private Malibu residences, Wildlife House and Portshead House. Our program supports adults experiencing anxiety, trauma, depression, mood disorders, and other complex mental health concerns. Each client begins with a detailed assessment that helps our clinical team understand their symptoms, history, strengths, and individual treatment needs.
Treatment may incorporate daily therapy, medication management, family work, stress-management strategies, and evidence-based, holistic modalities. Our approach can also incorporate mindfulness-based therapy, experiential therapies, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and neuroscience-informed interventions when appropriate for the individual.
Our Malibu residences are intentionally private, comfortable, and non-institutional. The serene environment allows clients to step away from everyday pressures while engaging more fully in treatment. Clinical depth remains at the center of our luxury program: our goal is to provide the time, individualized attention, and therapeutic support necessary to understand anxiety rather than simply suppress its symptoms.
For people who need continued structure following residential treatment, our Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program can provide ongoing group and individualized therapeutic support.
Find Lasting Support for Anxiety at Amend Treatment
Knowing how to stop shaking from anxiety can make difficult moments feel more manageable, but persistent physical symptoms may be telling you that your anxiety deserves more attention. You don’t have to organize your life around avoiding the next episode.
At Amend Treatment, we provide highly individualized residential mental health care in a private, luxury setting in Malibu. Our experienced clinical team works with you to understand what is driving your anxiety and create a treatment plan designed around your needs.
If anxiety has begun affecting your ability to feel safe, present, or in control of your daily life, contact Amend Treatment to learn whether our program may be an appropriate next step.
FAQs About Shaking From Anxiety
How long does shaking from anxiety last?
There is no single length of time that anxiety-related shaking lasts. Trembling associated with a panic attack may improve as the episode subsides, while people with persistent anxiety may notice intermittent physical symptoms over longer periods. Panic attacks often resolve with time, although the experience can still feel intense and frightening.
Can anxiety make your whole body shake?
Yes. Anxiety can cause trembling or shaking that affects different parts of the body, and some people experience a more generalized shaky sensation. Trembling may occur alongside symptoms such as sweating, a racing heart, dizziness, chills, or difficulty breathing.
How do I know if shaking is from anxiety?
Shaking that occurs during periods of fear, panic, worry, or emotional stress may be related to anxiety, particularly when it appears alongside other anxiety symptoms. However, shaking can have causes unrelated to mental health. If the symptom is new, ongoing, severe, or occurring without an obvious connection to anxiety, a healthcare professional can help determine what may be contributing to it.
Does caffeine make anxiety shaking worse?
It can for some people. Caffeine can worsen anxiety symptoms, so reducing caffeine is one self-care strategy for anxiety and tremor. Pay attention to whether coffee, energy drinks, pre-workout products, or other caffeine sources make your symptoms noticeably worse.
What should I do if breathing exercises don’t stop the shaking?
Breathing techniques are coping tools, not guaranteed ways to immediately eliminate anxiety. Try combining slow breathing with grounding, relaxing tense muscles, and giving the episode time to pass. If shaking or other anxiety symptoms occur frequently despite your efforts to manage them, consider speaking with a mental health professional about a more comprehensive treatment plan.
Can Amend Treatment help with the physical symptoms of anxiety?
Yes. Amend Treatment can address both the psychological and physical experience of anxiety by helping you better understand triggers, develop coping skills, and change patterns that maintain chronic fear or worry. Treatment is especially worth considering when physical anxiety symptoms influence your choices, cause avoidance, or make daily life harder.
References:
- Watson, K. (2023, January 23). Anxiety shaking: What causes it? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety-shaking
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2025). Panic disorder: What you need to know. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (n.d.). Tremor. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/tremor
- The National Health Service. (2026, June 16). Breathing exercises for stress. nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/