Ever wonder why anxiety feels SO FREAKING convincing?
READ TIME : 1 min
Let’s break it down.
First, you have to understand how we actually define “anxiety”.
So let’s take a look.
Think of it like an equation:
ANXIETY=OVERestimating the likelihood of something bad happening / UNDERestimating your ability to handle the outcome
Both of these are happening simultaneously and BOOM, it’s anxiety.
In other words, anxiety is a very skewed probability of events.
Let’s look at an example.
Imagine you have a happy hour with colleagues coming up at the end of the week and you suddenly think “you’re going to embarrass yourself AND that will be the worst.”
And when you hear a prediction like that in your brain, it makes complete sense why we tend to avoid these things.
So how can you use this equation?
The top half of the equation is NOT worth getting tangled up in because:
-no one can predict the future (otherwise I’d already have the winning lotto numbers)
-your brain is confusing possibility for probability (and I’m not a mathematician but they aren’t the same)
-it does feel high risk because it’s important to you, but that alone doesn’t make it more likely to happen (we need data in the present moment indicating that it’s likely)
Then, what about the bottom half?
That bottom half of the equation is where you should actually focus!
It claims you won’t be able to handle the outcome. And this is where I gently call bullsh*t. Because you have in fact, handled every stressful situation in your life so far!
Now for the best part...
Someone once said to me that, anxiety is less about being scared of a stressful event and more about not feeling confident in facing it.
I loved this perspective because I think...
It’s true.
The key to overcoming anxiety isn’t about controlling outside stressors... it’s about building confidence internally.
Want to improve your confidence but you’re not sure where to begin?
I’ll take you step-by-step to overcome anxiety. Reach out to schedule an intro call!
Hi, I’m Michelle
I’ve been working in mental health since 2010 and struggling with anxiety for oh, idk, maybe my entire life.
And with my lived experience having anxiety, I know what works, what doesn’t, and what makes things feel worse. In here, you’re not alone, and I’ll work with you to shed the shame along with the anxiety. And by using evidence-based practices, I’ll help you recover, not just feel better.