10 Funny Stories about Anxiety

We’ve all had those moments where our minds race faster than a caffeinated squirrel, darting from one irrational worry to the next. But have you ever stopped to find the humor in our sometimes-ridiculous anxieties? 

Believe it or not, anxiety, with all its heart-pounding and hand-wringing, can occasionally land us in situations that are downright hilarious. From mistaking a doorbell for an alien invasion signal to debating whether that tattoo of a chicken is indeed a life-long commitment (it is), we’ve compiled a list of funny stories about anxiety that will not only make you chuckle but also remind you that you’re not alone in your quirky concerns. 

So, sit back, take a deep breath, and let’s dive into the lighter side of life’s worries!

Funny Stories about Anxiety

1. Attack of the Jell-O

Sam had an irrational fear of Jell-O. He couldn’t explain it, but the wiggly, jiggly nature of it gave him anxiety like nothing else. When Sam’s friends found out, they couldn’t resist poking fun. “Hey Sam, wanna come over for some Jell-O shots?” they’d jest.

One day, his best friend, Mia, decided to host a ‘Face Your Fears’ party. People came dressed up as the most common phobias: spiders, heights, the dark, and so on. Sam walked in to find the entire place decorated with bowls of Jell-O in every imaginable color.

His first instinct was to flee, but Mia grabbed him by the arm. “Sam! It’s time to confront this. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Summoning all his courage, Sam approached the dessert table. He took a deep breath and picked up a small spoonful of cherry Jell-O. As it wobbled in front of him, his anxiety peaked, but he managed to swallow it.

Mia cheered, “See, you did it!”

But then, a voice from behind them yelled, “Earthquake!” The room shook, and bowls of Jell-O danced and wobbled uncontrollably.

Sam’s eyes widened in sheer panic. Once the shaking stopped and everyone realized it was just a minor tremor, they found Sam in a corner, hands covering his head, muttering, “The Jell-O is fighting back…”

Everyone burst into laughter, but from that day forward, no one teased Sam about his fear again. Instead, they all fondly remembered the day when the Jell-O almost took its revenge.

2. The Meditation Mishap

Lucy was tired of her anxiety dictating her life. After reading about the benefits of meditation, she decided to give it a try. She downloaded a guided meditation app, lit some calming lavender candles, and settled on her mat.

The soothing voice from the app guided, “Close your eyes. Imagine you’re on a serene beach. The waves are washing ashore, the sun is warming your skin…”

Lucy’s anxiety piped up, “What if you get sunburned? Or what if a crab pinches you?”

Trying to push those thoughts aside, Lucy continued to breathe deeply.

The voice continued, “Now, you’re floating on a gentle river. The current is carrying you, and you’re completely relaxed…”

Anxiety interrupted again, “What if there are piranhas? Or you get caught in a whirlpool?”

Lucy sighed, “Really?!”

Then, the most unexpected thing happened. The voice from the app said, “Did someone mention piranhas? This is a peaceful river, no piranhas here!”

Lucy jumped, eyes wide. Did the app just… respond to her thoughts? She quickly turned it off, feeling more anxious than ever.

The next day, she shared her story with a friend, who laughed and explained, “Oh, that’s the new interactive meditation app! It picks up on background noises and adjusts its guidance accordingly!”

Lucy chuckled, “Well, I guess even my anxiety needs a voice sometimes!”

From then on, she approached meditation with a new tactic: humor. If piranhas and whirlpools made an appearance, she welcomed them with a chuckle and let them float on by.

3. Grocery Gargoyles

Jenny was an imaginative young woman, and this imagination often led to undue anxiety. Every week, as she navigated the labyrinthine aisles of her local grocery store, she’d get this niggling feeling that the statues of gargoyles perched above the old store’s entrance were watching her.

She’d joke to herself, “What if they’re critiquing my shopping choices?” The image of stone gargoyles gossiping about her choice of cereal or debating the health benefits of almond milk versus regular milk would make her giggle.

One day, as she reached for a bag of chips, she heard a voice behind her say, “Really? Those again?”

She turned around, half-expecting to see a gargoyle, but instead found an elderly man with a mischievous grin.

She chuckled, “I guess I’m a creature of habit.”

The man winked, “Just wanted to see if the legends were true.”

“What legends?” Jenny asked.

“Oh, the old tale that if you buy the same chips three weeks in a row, the gargoyles will come to life to tease you,” he laughed.

Jenny joined in the laughter, realizing that sometimes the monsters of our own making can lead to the most unexpected and delightful encounters.

4. Paranoid Park Problems

Mark had a bit of an anxious streak, especially when it came to parking his car. He was always worried he’d forgotten to lock it, left the windows down, or parked in a spot he shouldn’t have.

One sunny day, he parked near a park where a mime was performing. After walking away from his car, Mark’s anxiety kicked in. “Did I lock the doors?” He dashed back to check. He did. He walked away again.

Five minutes later, “Did I leave the windows down?” Back to the car. No, they were up.

After the third return trip to ensure he hadn’t left the lights on, he noticed the mime was mimicking his back-and-forth frantic pacing, exaggerating each step and making the audience laugh.

Mark paused, then started intentionally doing funny walks, hopping, and even a moonwalk back and forth to his car, while the mime copied every move, making the crowd roar with laughter.

He turned his anxiety into an impromptu double-act, earning both him and the mime a standing ovation.

From that day, whenever Mark’s anxiety threatened to take over, he’d remember that day and think, “If I can turn my worries into a performance, I can handle anything!”

5. The Bewildering Barber Shop

Rick had always been nervous about getting his hair cut. It wasn’t the scissors or the small talk that got him—it was the fear that he’d end up with a style he didn’t want. His anxiety often painted pictures of him leaving the barber shop with a mohawk or, worse, a reverse mullet.

One day, he took a deep breath and decided to face this fear head-on. He entered a new trendy barber shop in town that had mirrors covered in stylish curtains. The premise was simple: you’d get a cut without seeing the progress, ensuring a “grand reveal” at the end.

Rick explained his usual style to the barber, and the snipping began. Every time he heard a clip or felt a brush, his heart raced. “What if he’s giving me a neon-colored buzz cut?” Rick’s anxiety whispered.

Finally, the barber dramatically whisked away the curtain from the mirror. Rick braced himself… and burst into laughter. His hair looked exactly the same as when he’d walked in.

The barber grinned, “First-timers get the ‘Trust Cut.’ It’s just a trim to help you trust us!”

6. Lulu’s Looming Latte

Lulu had a peculiar anxiety that sprouted every morning. She worried that her barista was secretly judging her for her complicated coffee order: a triple-shot, half-caff, almond milk latte, with one pump of vanilla, one of caramel, at exactly 142°F.

She’d rehearse her order in her mind while waiting in line, imagining the barista’s eyes rolling or hearing a deep sigh of annoyance.

One day, she decided to confront this anxiety by making a joke out of her order. As she approached the counter, she dramatically declared, “Behold! ‘Tis I, Lulu, the Lady of Lattes, here to request her legendary elixir!”

The barista blinked in surprise, then burst into giggles. “Your legendary elixir will be prepared posthaste, oh grand Lady of Lattes!”

From that day on, Lulu’s order became a daily jest, and she even noticed other customers concocting their own flamboyant titles. The coffee shop became a stage, and every order, no matter how complicated, was a cause for celebration.

7. Phil’s Phantom Phone Syndrome

Phil had a quirky anxiety that he swore was universal: the sensation that his phone was vibrating in his pocket when it wasn’t. He’d call it his “phantom phone syndrome.” Multiple times a day, he’d slap his thigh, reach into his pocket, and retrieve his silent, still phone.

At a family reunion, Phil decided to share this odd experience. “Am I the only one who feels the phone vibrate when it doesn’t?”

To his surprise, a chorus of cousins, aunts, and even grandpa admitted to the same sensation. They started a game: for every phantom vibration, you’d get a point, and by the end of the day, the one with the most points would win a prize.

The reunion turned into a comedy of errors, with family members dramatically checking their non-vibrating phones and others purposefully trying to trick relatives into thinking they’d received a message.

Phil didn’t win, but he left the reunion feeling lighter, realizing that sometimes shared anxieties could be the biggest sources of shared laughter.

8. Wendy’s Wardrobe Woes

Wendy had an entire closet filled with clothes, but her anxiety made choosing an outfit feel like solving a quantum physics problem. Every morning was a debate: “Is this too flashy? Too plain? Too… polka-dotty?”

One day, she devised a plan to combat this daily dilemma. She invited her friends over for a “Wardrobe Wheel of Fortune” party. Wendy pinned pictures of all her dresses, shirts, skirts, and even hats on a big spinning wheel.

Her friends would spin the wheel, and whatever outfit it landed on, Wendy would wear it the next day. Photos were taken, laughter ensued, and a mismatched ensemble of a summer dress with winter boots was the hilarious highlight.

Monday morning, Wendy confidently strutted into her office wearing the odd combination, garnering chuckles and compliments. Her anxiety was still there, but it was overshadowed by the joy of unpredictability and the memory of a fun-filled evening.

From then on, every time she felt indecisive, she’d give her wheel a whirl and embrace the results with a smile.

9. Terry’s Tattoo Terror

Terry was a young man of many anxieties, and one of his biggest was the fear of getting a tattoo. It wasn’t the pain he dreaded, but the permanent commitment. What if he chose something today that he’d regret tomorrow?

After being peer-pressured by his adventurous friends, he finally decided to face his fear. He walked into a tattoo parlor with a vague idea: to get a small, inconspicuous tattoo of a chameleon. If he regretted it, at least it’d be true to its nature and ‘blend in’, he mused.

The tattoo artist, upon hearing Terry’s apprehensions and his choice of a chameleon, chuckled and said, “How about I ink you a chameleon that’s so realistic, you’d think it’s moving?”

Nervously, Terry agreed. The tattoo artist got to work and, an hour later, revealed a stunning, ultra-realistic chameleon on Terry’s forearm.

Elated and proud, Terry showed off his new ink at a party that night. But every time someone tried to view it, he’d quickly turn his arm or distract them, chuckling, “It’s a chameleon; it’s supposed to be hard to spot!”

His new tattoo not only became the highlight of his party antics but also a testament to facing fears with a twist of humor.

10. Donna’s Dastardly Doorbells

Donna had an odd source of anxiety: doorbells. Every time it rang, she’d jump, heart racing, imagining worst-case scenarios. Salespeople? Scammers? Zombies?

One Halloween, she decided to turn her anxiety into amusement. Instead of the usual ‘ding-dong’, she set up various doorbell sounds: a meowing cat, a laughing witch, a ghostly “Boo!”, and even a voice saying, “Did you bring pizza?”

Kids and parents alike were in splits each time they pressed the doorbell, eagerly pressing again and again to hear all the different sounds. The once-dreaded doorbell became the talk of the neighborhood.

And while Donna still jumped a bit every time it rang, it was now with anticipation and giggles, waiting to hear which sound would play next. Her anxiety had transformed her door into the most entertaining entrance on the block.