Why Am I So On Edge Lately? Anxiety Therapy NYC for a World That Won’t Slow Down

When your mind won’t turn off and you're stuck in the loop—this is what 3am can look like in a world that doesn’t slow down. Anxiety Therapy in NYC can help.

Photo by Nubelson Fernandes; Uploaded from Unsplash on 5/6/25.

It doesn’t take much these days to feel like your nerves are fried. Maybe you catch a glimpse of a news headline and feel your shoulders tense. Or you find yourself spending half an hour ruminating on what you wish you could say to a colleague or boss. Perhaps you're on a date or giving a presentation, and no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to find your calm rhythm. Your thoughts spiral. Your chest tightens. You're awake at 3:00 a.m., heart racing, mind going and going. And even if you know it’s bad for you, you find yourself doomscrolling through social media, hoping something will help you feel in control again.

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. I'm Eric, a licensed mental health counselor offering Anxiety Therapy in NYC, and I specialize in helping adults find relief from exactly this kind of daily emotional overload. In a city and a world that won’t slow down, our bodies and minds are struggling to keep up. But the truth is, there are ways to reclaim calm, reconnect with yourself, and learn how to be in this world without being consumed by it.

You’re Not Imagining It – The World Is Loud

Our nervous systems weren’t designed for this much input. One moment you hear birdsong from your open window. A sweet moment of peace. And then—honking, traffic, sirens. You’re reminded that you live in a city that never sleeps and rarely takes a breath.

I live in an apartment that opens to a courtyard. On some mornings, it feels like a gift: birds singing, breeze coming through the window. But then the honking begins. Ambulances whir by. The traffic rushes past. It's such a fitting metaphor for what it feels like to live in New York City with an anxious mind.

Even when you try to find a quiet space, you're not alone. A walk in Central Park might help—but you're joined by thousands of others trying to do the same. I once joked with friends about the unspoken NYC rule of where you’re allowed to cry in public. The consensus? On the subway or in a church. I’ve seen so many people teared up, walking through the streets, doing their best to hold big emotions in a city that rarely makes space for them.

Your Nervous System Is Doing Its Job (Even If It Feels Terrible)

If you're constantly feeling "on edge," there's a good chance your nervous system is stuck in a high-alert mode. And that’s not because you're broken—it's because your body thinks it’s keeping you safe.

Anxiety often isn’t just fear. It’s a sign that some part of you is trying to protect you from something it believes is dangerous. Maybe it's trying to shield you from difficult emotions like grief, shame, or anger. Maybe it’s trying to prevent rejection, humiliation, or failure. Or maybe it’s trying to stop you from remembering something painful from your past.

In therapy, I often describe anxiety as a form of disconnection. It disconnects us from the present moment, from others, and from ourselves. And over time, this protective strategy can cost us deeply: we lose access to our authenticity, our full range of feelings, and the chance to feel truly connected and supported.

Many of the beliefs that drive our anxious responses were formed long ago, in environments where we didn’t have the tools, support, or safety to fully process our experiences. What helped us stay safe as kids might now be keeping us stuck. I call this emotional reasoning "kid logic," and we carry it into adulthood more often than we realize.

Why NYC Triggers So Much of This

New York City’s energy is magnetic—but the nonstop pace, noise, and crowding can leave your nervous system in a constant state of alert.

Photo by Eddie Blair; Uploaded from Unsplash on 5/6/25.

Living in New York can intensify everything. It’s a city full of opportunity and ambition—but also comparison, competition, and stimulation. It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind or failing to keep up, even when you’re doing well by most standards.

NYC is full of noise, pressure, and constant motion. Even if you moved here to find freedom, connection, or a new chapter, the intensity of the city can wear you down. It's not just about having too many tasks—it’s about your nervous system constantly being pinged by the environment. It can feel like there’s no place to land.

But it’s not just what’s happening around you that keeps you on edge—it’s what’s been wired within you.

Anxiety Isn’t Irrational – It’s Often Old

One of the most powerful things I share with clients is this: your anxiety makes sense when you understand where it came from. Many of the things we feel anxious about as adults have younger roots. It’s often a part of us that learned to disconnect or stay small to survive.

Maybe you learned that being yourself led to criticism. Or that failure wasn’t an option. Or that your emotions weren’t safe to feel, especially in a family or faith environment where conformity was prioritized over authenticity. In those moments, your nervous system did what it had to do to keep you safe.

But what helped you survive back then might now be keeping you stuck.

I call this "unlearning kid logic."

Kid logic is the emotional reasoning you internalized when you were younger. It was built on what you had access to: the relationships, experiences, and interpretations you made about what was safe and what wasn’t. And while those interpretations may have helped you then, they often get carried into adulthood and play out in ways that feel confusing or frustrating.

This is where therapy comes in.

How Anxiety Therapy in NYC Can Help

In my work with clients, we use an integrative approach that includes EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic practices, and good old-fashioned conversation. My goal isn’t just to help you cope with symptoms—it’s to help you understand them. To get curious about what your anxiety is trying to protect you from. And to update the emotional learning so that your system no longer believes that the past is still happening.

In our sessions, we might:

• Explore the protective parts of you that are working overtime

• Build grounding practices that fit your life (not just generic techniques)

• Identify the deeper beliefs your anxiety is reinforcing

• Connect with the wise, grounded Self in you that can help lead your internal system with compassion

One client realized that every time their heart raced in meetings, it wasn’t fear of failure—it was their body remembering what it felt like to be corrected or shamed in childhood. That insight alone created a shift. They could finally speak up without feeling hijacked by something invisible.

Learn more about how I work and what therapy looks like here.

Some Grounding Practices That Help Me (and Might Help You Too)

Sometimes, grounding looks like taking your inner child to the park. Finding quiet, light, and green space can help you reconnect with calm.

Photo by Melissa Askew; Uploaded from Unsplash on 5/6/2025.

One of the things I learned after moving to NYC was how important it is to create structure for my nervous system. I begin most mornings with a mindfulness meditation practice—right after making my coffee. Just five to ten minutes of sitting, breathing, and noticing my body helps me find my footing.

When I have something bigger weighing on me, I bring it to therapy—to slow it down, get perspective, and find new ways of relating to it. I also seek out quiet green corners of Central Park where I can rest and recharge. I call it getting "green in my eyeballs."

Here are a few grounding prompts or practices you might try:

• Mindful breathing: Try placing one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Breathe slowly and see if you can send your breath into the hand on your belly. Let your system know you’re not in danger.

• Parts check-in: Ask, "What part of me is feeling anxious right now? What might it be trying to protect me from?"

• Reframe with compassion: Instead of asking, "Why am I like this?" try, "What happened that makes this reaction make sense?"

None of these tools are magic. But over time, they can help you build a relationship with your anxiety that’s less about control and more about connection.

You’re Not Broken. You’re Reacting to a World That Overwhelms

If you’ve been feeling on edge, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. Your system is responding to overload, to past pain, to an environment that pushes too hard and pauses too little. But healing is possible.

Therapy offers a place to understand your patterns, reconnect with yourself, and build new ways of moving through the world that are less reactive and more grounded. If you’re ready to begin that work, I’d be honored to help.

Reach out to schedule your free 15-minute consultation today by clicking on the link below.