Anxiety Symptoms in men: My story and how to overcome them

If you’re a man in your 30s or 40s and you’ve ever Googled “anxiety symptoms,” you’re not alone. Anxiety is one of the most common struggles men face, but most of us don’t talk about it.

Instead, we bury it, ignore it, or try to muscle through - which is exactly what I did for years.

For me, anxiety showed up as claustrophobia. I would feel trapped in enclosed spaces - airplanes, crowded trains, even rollercoasters (the safety bars were my achilles heel. My chest would tighten, my breathing would speed up, and I’d panic like I was about to die. These are classic anxiety symptoms: shortness of breath, racing thoughts, dizziness, overwhelming fear, and the sense that you’ve lost control.

At the time, I thought it was just a fear of small spaces. But over time, I realised it was deeper than that. Anxiety wasn’t about the room I was in, it was about the thoughts I was carrying.

I was overwhelmed, disconnected, and trying to deal with too much on my own.

Practical Ways to Manage Anxiety Symptoms

If you’ve ever felt something similar, here are a few tools that have helped me and many other men:

1. Breathing Techniques - Slow, deep breathing calms the nervous system. Try the 4-7-8 method: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and breathe out for 8.

2. Grounding Exercises - Focus on the present moment. Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.

3. Exercise - Moving your body reduces stress hormones and helps release anxiety that’s stored in the body.

4. Limit Stimulants - Too much caffeine or alcohol can make anxiety worse.

5. Talk About It - Don’t bottle it up. Opening up to other men who understand what you’re going through can take away the shame and give you perspective.

And let me be clear: if your anxiety feels overwhelming, or if you ever feel like you could be a danger to yourself, please seek medical support immediately. Talking to your GP, a therapist, or a mental health professional could be the most important step you ever take.

Why Brotherhood Matters

One of the biggest breakthroughs for me came when I stopped trying to handle everything alone. When I started surrounding myself with men who were also facing their own struggles - anxiety, stress, relationship problems, self-doubt...everything changed.

Why? Because suddenly I wasn’t alone anymore. I realised that strong, high-performing men deal with anxiety symptoms too. Together, we supported each other, held each other accountable, and shared the tools that worked.

That’s exactly why I created Engineered Thinking - a brotherhood for men who want to grow stronger mentally, emotionally, and physically. It’s a space where you can be honest, share what’s going on, and find practical support to overcome the things holding you back.

Anxiety thrives in isolation. But when you step into a group of men who have your back, you’ll find that anxiety starts to lose its grip.

So if you’ve been struggling with anxiety symptoms, know this: you’re not broken, you’re not weak, and you’re definitely not alone.

There are tools, there’s support, and there’s a way forward.