Anxiety, When You Feel Like Chicken Little.

Anxiety: When Your Brain Becomes a Fortune Teller (And It's Always Predicting Doom)

Anxiety. That sneaky little brain gremlin that whispers, “What if?” at 2 a.m. like it’s auditioning for a horror movie. If you’ve ever found yourself rehearsing conversations that haven’t happened, or panicking over emails you haven’t even opened, congrats, you’re in the club.

You’re also not alone.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), over 40 million adults in the U.S. (roughly 1 in 5) experience an anxiety disorder every year. That’s a lot of racing hearts and sweaty palms—probably enough to power a small city if we could harness the energy.

And here’s the kicker: anxiety isn’t always bad. In small doses, it’s like your overprotective aunt, it means well. It keeps you from touching hot stoves, speeds up your reflexes in danger, and reminds you to triple check that your curling iron is off (even though you already did... twice).

But when anxiety goes from helpful to hijacker, interrupting your sleep, relationships, or daily functioning, it’s time to pay attention.

Signs of high anxiety include:

• Constant worrying or overthinking (also known as “doomscrolling’s emotional cousin”)

• Difficulty concentrating

• Physical symptoms like tension, headaches, or stomach issues

• Avoiding situations that feel overwhelming (like answering phone calls from unknown numbers... or known ones).

And let’s talk about the body-brain connection for a second. Anxiety is not just “in your head.” It’s in your muscles, your gut, your immune system—everywhere. It’s a full-body experience, like a bad theme park ride you can’t get off of.

So, what helps?

Therapy (shameless plug!), exercise, mindfulness, cutting back on caffeine (yes, I said it), and sometimes just naming the anxiety can start to disarm it. Say it with me: “Thanks, brain, for trying to protect me, but I’m actually just sending a text, not diffusing a bomb." Another quick suggestion, boundaries with work. We're not meant to be on-call 24-7 and It can wait until tomorrow.

In short, anxiety is common, manageable, and sometimes even laughable, if you catch it before it runs the show. And if you need help with that, you're in good company, call me.