3 Tips for Managing Anxiety (as a queer person)

Navigating anxiety as an LGBTQ person in 2025! Let’s get into it.

First blog post! Woohoo. Starting this blog has been on my list as a way to engage and support my community further. While I’m used to creative writing, blogging feels like a new and exciting challenge. For my debut post, I’m diving into a topic close to my heart: navigating anxiety as a queer person.

Whenever I work with clients on managing anxiety, I like to start from a place of curiosity. Anxiety is a natural human response to perceived threats. Often, it’s trying to protect us or alert us to something important. But sometimes, anxiety takes that job a little too seriously. This is when it starts to feel overwhelming—you’re nervous, second-guessing everything, or constantly on edge. For LGBTQ+ folks, anxiety can be amplified by navigating unique stressors and systemic challenges.

If this resonates, here are three tips to help you break the cycle of worry and reconnect with yourself:

1. Start from a Place of Curiosity

If anxiety is a response to perceived threat, then ask: What is it trying to protect me from? Often, anxiety can feel loud and insistent, but the "threat" it perceives might be much smaller or less immediate than it seems. By approaching your anxiety with curiosity and compassion, you can better understand its purpose and begin to quiet the noise.

Try asking yourself:

• What is my anxiety trying to tell me?

• What is it afraid of?

• How can I offer this anxious part of myself compassion?

When we respond to our anxiety with self-love and self-trust, we create space to calm and soothe those overwhelming thoughts.

2. Don’t Gaslight Yourself!

As queer folks in 2025, we are living through a lot. With constant attacks from laws and media on our rights, it’s no wonder your alarm bells are ringing. Our rights are under threat. Your anxiety is doing it’s job. This is a valid and reasonable cause for anxiety.

Instead of trying to “talk yourself out of” your anxiety or dismiss your feelings, acknowledge them. Practice self-care and self-love. Lean into queer community spaces where you feel seen and supported. Plan ways to connect: attend an event, volunteer, protest, or find ways to give back.

Your anxiety is a signal that something isn’t right. Try nurturing yourself and surrounding yourself with affirming spaces and people.

3. Connect With Your Body

When anxiety takes over, grounding yourself in your body can help bring you back to the present. Mindfulness and grounding techniques are fantastic tools to calm your nervous system.

Some ideas to try:

• Use apps like Calm or Headspace for guided grounding practices.

• Practice a morning body scan. Take a few minutes to tune in and notice how your body feels.

• Get sunshine on your face for five minutes (even if it’s through a window!).

• Delay looking at your phone for the first 15 minutes of your day.

• Rethink that morning coffee. If caffeine ramps up your anxiety, consider switching to tea—it can be delicious, I promise! I’m a big fan of Matcha Lattes.

Anxiety is complex, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But these strategies can help you create a foundation for managing it with more ease and compassion. If anxiety is something you’d like more support with, don’t hesitate to reach out to a therapist. You deserve to feel supported and cared for—always.