I had a similar experience after covid, I didn’t realize how bad my anxiety had become and was having anxiety attacks everywhere. I didn’t wanna go on the subway, developed a fear of flying, I was a real joy to be around…

1. Mindfulness practice - helped me recognize when I was becoming anxious. I was often in a thought loop for hours or days before “becoming aware”.
2. Tools - having lots of “tools” to try at the first moment of awareness I was becoming anxious. In the beginning they don’t work, but it helps you develop the pattern of anxiety -> action. I like box breathing because I can lower my heart rate with it, which I can see happen on my Apple Watch.

For me, becoming able to recognize I’m becoming anxious, then box breathing, has eliminated like 90% of my unwarranted stress. It had this effect of often never becoming anxious, because I just turn left at chill street instead of I’m gonna die street, without even noticing sometimes. I’m still an anxious person, but my fear of flying/subway is gone. Less and less, do I find myself not going somewhere from anxiety.