u/Adventurous-Ad4749

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with what I think are anxiety/stress-related heart palpitations almost daily lately, and I’m wondering if others experience it this way too.

The strange thing is: I often don’t feel mentally anxious before they happen. Sometimes I’m literally just sitting on the couch or lying in bed relaxing, and then suddenly my heart starts doing weird things , skipped beats, stronger beats, brief irregular feelings etc. The moment that happens, I become anxious and hyperfocused on my heart.
So it feels less like:
“I’m anxious, therefore I get palpitations”
and more like:
“I get palpitations/sensations first, and then my anxiety spirals.”

I’m also currently very exhausted/overstimulated in life (3 young kids, work, poor sleep, stress buildup over years) and my doctor thinks my nervous system is basically overloaded and that I am burned out. But because the sensations feel so physical and real, I keep thinking “what if it’s actually my heart?”
Especially because it’s happening almost every day at the moment. I actually went to my doctor 2 times already thinking I have a heart problem. Because of my age and the way the symptoms present, he’s not concerned about a heart condition and currently doesn’t feel additional cardiac testing is necessary, so I did not get any.

Would really appreciate hearing from people who’ve experienced something similar, especially if the palpitations themselves were what triggered the anxiety rather than the other way around.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice or shared experiences because I’m starting to feel quite overwhelmed.

I’m a mom of three young children (3yr old and 2yr old twins), and currently they are at home most days. My mother helps out on Mondays and Tuesdays, and my mother-in-law on Thursdays, but they both come to our house.

Even though I’m not always the one directly caring for the children, the house is still constantly busy, noisy, and messy. There is always background chaos — crying, playing, meals, cleaning up — and I never really feel like I get a proper break or mental reset.

I also work from home about 50% (I’m a lawyer), and even when I’m not actively parenting, it still feels like I’m constantly “on” because the environment is so stimulating. On office days, when I come home, there is always chaos and dinner/clean-up (the house is a total mess) and I don’t really get a transition into rest.

I recently noticed that on the rare days when things are calmer (for example when the children are elsewhere and the house is quiet), I feel a huge difference in my stress levels, and even physical symptoms like palpitations and tension disappear. My doctor has also mentioned I’m on the edge of burnout due to constant anxiety and poor sleep.

This makes me think the current setup might be too overstimulating long-term, even though we do have help from grandparents (which I am honestly very grateful for). I live in a country where daycare is extremely expensive.
I’m wondering:
Has anyone been in a similar situation with young kids and lots of home-based help?
Did changing the structure (like daycare or kids being out of the house instead of at home) make a difference?
I’m trying to figure out a more sustainable weekly rhythm without completely changing our family setup, but I feel like something needs to shift.
Any advice or experiences would really help.

Ik heb al maanden last van stressklachten. Hartkloppingen, angsten, slecht slapen, slechte concentratie en wisselende fysieke pijnklachten. Mijn huisarts zegt dat ik overspannen ben (ik dacht dat ik een hartaandoening had) en dat ik meer rust moet creeeren. Ik heb er afspraak gepland met de praktijkondersteuner om te beginnen. Ik heb 3 kinderen onder de 3 en werk 4 dagen als jurist, en we hebben een kluswoning wat aandacht vraagt, het is vooral dat ik structureel te weinig hersteltijd heb waardoor ik dit heb. Ik voel me gewoon alsof ik constant moet rennen. Het komt dus niet enkel door werk, bijvoorbeeld. Ik hoop ergens dat ik niet hoef te minderen met werk uiteindelijk omdat ik heel blij ben met m’n werk. Ik merk echter wel dat ik moeite heb me te focussen en soms heel lang niet productief ben. Ik heb 2 weken terug getekend voor een vast contract, die gaat 1 juni in. Dat kunnen ze natuurlijk niet zomaar terugdraaien dus in die zin voel ik me ook wel veilig. Toch twijfel of ik ik dit moet melden op werk. Ik ben ergens bang dat ze me dan toch in een bepaald hokje gaan plaatsen en het negatief op me afstraalt. Wat zouden jullie doen?