Feeling of the Week: Anxiety

Anxiety = Uncertainty + Perceived Threat

Anxiety often sneaks in when life feels unpredictable. At its core, anxiety is the body’s alarm system responding to both uncertainty and perceived threat. When we don’t know what will happen next, the brain fills in the blanks with possibilities, many of them worst-case scenarios. Even if the danger isn’t real, the nervous system responds as if it is, leaving us restless, tense, and bracing for impact.

This equation matters because it explains why anxiety feels so overwhelming during times of change. It isn’t only the unknown that rattles us, it’s our mind’s interpretation of what the unknown might mean. When uncertainty meets imagined threat, the body reacts as though survival is at stake.

The first step in easing anxiety is noticing this equation at play. Instead of fighting the feeling or judging yourself for being anxious, you can remind yourself that your body is trying to protect you in the absence of clarity. That awareness alone creates a little more space to breathe.

When you think about your own life right now, what uncertain space is stirring up your body’s alarm system?