How to Stop Anxiety Chills

Have you ever felt cold chills before a stressful event, like a big work presentation or another nerve-wracking situation? Unexpectedly shivering or suddenly getting the chills can be frustrating and confusing, especially if you don’t have a fever or other signs of illness.

It might help to know that these chills could actually be a symptom of an anxiety disorder — often called anxiety chills.

If you’ve found yourself here because you Googled “how to stop shaking from anxiety immediately” or “uncontrollable shaking anxiety,” we’re here to help you find answers.

This guide will explain why you might experience these anxiety-related chills and offer tips on how to stop anxiety chills so they don’t interfere with your daily life.

Before we go over how to stop anxiety chills, let’s talk about what anxiety is, its effects, and why you might be experiencing anxiety chills.

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress — whether from dealing with problems at work, making a big life decision, or even everyday tasks like driving.

Anxiety and stress might make you feel scared, worried, or threatened.

Physical Symptoms of Stress and Anxiety Disorders

When under stress, the body releases stress hormones (like cortisol) that activate the fight-or-flight response. This reaction helps you survive by making you more aware of your surroundings and giving you a jolt of adrenaline.

When you’re anxious, you may feel tense, sweat more than usual, and feel your heartbeat quicken. These are all typical bodily reactions to stress.

When anxiety levels are constantly high, you might be dealing with chronic anxiety — long-term stress and anxiety can also point to anxiety disorders. There are different types of anxiety disorders, including:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This mental health condition is diagnosed when someone experiences overwhelming and persistent anxiety for six months or longer.

• Social anxiety. Social anxiety disorder is when a person feels extremely anxious in social situations — at parties or speaking in front of a large audience, for instance.

• Panic disorder. Panic disorder is marked by sudden and intense feelings of fear, panic attacks, and heart palpitations for no rational reason.

• Phobias. These are persistent and debilitating fears of specific things, people, situations, or places.

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD involves recurrent, anxiety-inducing thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

These mental health disorders can have a variety of symptoms, depending on the type of anxiety disorder. Some symptoms of anxiety disorders are more common than others, though.

Anxiety Chills and Other Symptoms of Anxiety

Common symptoms of anxiety can include both psychological and physical effects, such as:

• Focusing only on current worries or concerns

• Insomnia or trouble sleeping

• Feeling nervous or restless

• Avoiding people or situations that may cause anxiety

• Low energy or fatigue

• Muscle aches or tense muscles

• Stomach pain, upset stomach, or other gastrointestinal issues (cramps, diarrhea, constipation, etc.)

• Shortness of breath, hyperventilation, rapid heart rate/racing heart

• Shaking, sweating, and hot flashes

• Feeling like you’re having a heart attack (when it may just be a panic attack)

The effects of anxiety aren’t just psychological — physical anxiety symptoms can be just as overwhelming. If you feel body chills, the cause could very well be anxiety.

But why do you feel chilly seemingly all of a sudden? You may be wondering why this particular symptom happens and how to stop chills from anxiety. We’ll get into this below.

Anxiety chills are sudden shivering sensations throughout the body. Sometimes called anxiety shaking, the shivering is a reflex that makes your muscles start contracting.

We all experience anxiety differently, and some may have more physical symptoms than others.

The physical symptoms you experience from anxiety are a result of the fight-or-flight response — also known as the autonomic nervous system.

When under stress, the brain perceives danger and triggers a fight-or-flight response. This active stress response can have various physical effects, from muscle tension to increased heart rate and irregular heartbeat.

When your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, you start to sweat in anticipation of the need for intense physical activity to escape the perceived threat.. Additionally, going into fight-or-flight mode diverts blood flow away from the skin and into the muscles, so they’ll be ready to perform at peak capacity if necessary.

If the fight-or-flight response isn’t followed by actual fighting or running away, the cooling mechanisms are unnecessary, and they go too far. Sweating and reduced blood flow to the skin can make you feel cold, and that’s what leads to shivering. The rapid muscle contractions behind the shivering generates heat to warm you up.

Acute stress — such as temporary stress from slamming on the brakes while driving or trying to meet deadlines — goes away quickly. But chronic stress (or stress disorder) can have longer-term effects.

Those experiencing short-term stress might have anxiety chills that quickly subside, while folks with chronic anxiety may experience shivering and chills more often.

People with panic disorder or phobias (another type of anxiety disorder) might also get anxiety chills more often. Panic attacks, for example, are a characterization of both panic disorder and agoraphobia — a type of phobia where someone is afraid to leave their home. Sweating and chills are two common symptoms of panic attacks.

Whether you’re dealing with anxiety chills periodically or frequently, shaking from anxiety can be frustrating and scary. Ahead, we’ll walk you through how to stop chills from anxiety.

Learning how to manage the physical symptoms of anxiety — including anxiety chills — can improve your quality of life.

There are several methods for reducing anxiety symptoms, from pharmacological options (i.e., medication) to psychotherapy to lifestyle changes.

Medication

A range of prescription medications are available to help people with anxiety disorders manage their symptoms.

They work by acting on different neurotransmitters in the brain that help regulate stress and mood.

To find out if you’d be a good candidate for medication, you can meet with a healthcare professional and discuss your symptoms. If they think you could benefit from medication, you may be prescribed one of these types of medications:

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), like citalopram (Celexa^®), escitalopram (Lexapro^®), fluoxetine (Prozac^®), or sertraline (Zoloft^®)

• Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), such as venlafaxine (Effexor^®) or duloxetine (Cymbalta^®)

• Buspirone (BuSpar^®)

• Benzodiazepines, like alprazolam (Xanax^®) or (clonazepam) Klonopin^®

• Beta-blockers, such as propranolol

Beta-blockers like propranolol are often used for immediate relief from performance anxiety. Meanwhile, antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs may be prescribed to help improve your mood and reduce your anxiety over the long term.

Buspirone is often used as a second-line treatment when antidepressants aren’t a good fit. Just as everyone experiences different anxiety symptoms, people respond to medications differently.

Discuss your symptoms with a healthcare provider first to see if medication is a good treatment option for you.

Psychotherapy

Therapy for anxiety is a highly effective method for managing symptoms, whether alone or in combination with medication.

There are many types of therapy for anxiety. Here’s a quick rundown of some popular options:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is one of the most research-supported treatments for anxiety. CBT helps people identify patterns that may be increasing their anxiety and come up with healthier ways to deal with them.

• Interpersonal therapy. This type of therapy can assist you in overcoming interpersonal issues (like an unhealthy relationship) that may impact your mental health. It might be a good option for those whose anxiety revolves around romantic relationships and friendships.

• Exposure therapy. This form of therapy involves exposing patients to the object of their anxiety in a safe environment to help them overcome their fear and stop avoiding said object. It can be helpful for those who have panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias.

Mindfulness

Certain lifestyle changes — like practicing mindfulness — won’t fully treat anxiety, but they can help reduce anxiety symptoms. Being mindful means focusing on the present moment instead of dwelling on the sources of your anxiety.

You could try mindfulness practices and relaxation techniques like yoga, mindfulness meditation, or deep breathing exercises, which can reduce stress and anxious feelings and help you work toward holistic wellness.

If you’re prone to anxiety or chronic stress, you might experience anxiety chills from time to time.

Here’s what to keep in mind about anxiety chills and how to manage them:

• Anxiety can result in a number of physical symptoms, including chills and shivering. These are effects of your body’s fight-or-flight response to keep you safe from danger.

• Involuntary anxiety shivers are your body’s way of managing its internal temperature after your body activates emergency cooling mechanisms in anticipation of the need to fight or run away from “danger” — or whatever’s causing you stress and anxiety.

• The best way is to treat the underlying anxiety causing these chills through some combination of talk therapy, medication, and mindfulness techniques.

Ready to take the next step?

An online licensed mental health provider can help you figure out the best treatment plan for your condition and symptoms. If appropriate, they can prescribe medication based on your needs and unique situation.

Connect with a mental health professional through our telehealth platform today.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.