What You're Feeling
Anxious
Anxiety is your threat-detection system firing on an uncertain future, often disproportionately to the actual danger — it's trying to protect you by scanning ahead, even when there's nothing concrete to scan for yet.
Common thoughts
- “What if this goes wrong?”
- “I need to figure this out right now.”
- “Something bad is about to happen.”
Body sensations
- Racing heart
- Shallow breathing
- Restlessness or an inability to sit still
What helps
- Slow, longer exhales than inhales
- Grounding in the present moment
- Naming the specific fear instead of the vague dread
What makes it worse
- Avoiding the thing that triggers it entirely
- Endless reassurance-seeking