Anxiety as a Signal, Not a Stop Sign
Anxiety as a Signal: What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You
Stress and anxiety aren’t your enemies—they’re messages from your brain and body. They show up when something matters, nudging you to focus, prepare, or act. The tricky part isn’t feeling anxious—it’s how we interpret it.
Where Anxiety Comes From
Neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux (New York University) explains that anxiety comes from deep survival circuits, designed to detect threats and get you ready for action. But here’s the catch: many anxiety triggers aren’t actually dangerous—they’re perceived threats we can figure out how to handle, not real ones. Learning to tell the difference is key.
Clinical psychologists David Barlow and Stefan Hofmann (Boston University) emphasize that anxiety becomes a problem when it narrows your life, or when the signal isn’t strong enough to guide you effectively.
What the Science Shows
Exposure therapy experts Michelle Craske (UCLA) and Edna Foa (University of Pennsylvania) show that avoidance not only strengthens anxiety but it can become habit forming! While a gradual, repeated approach teaches the brain safety. Psychiatrist Judson Brewer (Brown University) explains how anxiety can become a habit loop: worry briefly relieves discomfort, unintentionally reinforcing more worry. But growth doesn’t happen through comfort; some discomfort is expected as we learn what’s needed to work with or grow through the experiences that are causing the energy to build up.
Meanwhile, Kelly McGonigal (Stanford University) reframes stress: when we see it as energy or preparation, our body responds in healthier, more productive ways.
Practical Ways to Respond
Check for safety. Ask: Is this really dangerous (real alarm), or just my brain reacting (false alarm)?
Question your thoughts. Try Socratic questioning: What evidence supports this worry? Could there be another explanation or another way to respond?
Take small steps. Micro-approaches (new, small, sustainable habits) retrain your brain faster than big leaps.
Reframe the sensation. Say: “My body is gearing up” instead of “I’m anxious” or “I’m staying home today.”
Ride the wave. Anxiety naturally rises, peaks, and falls—staying present, noticing it when it greets you in your mind and body, teaches your brain it’s part of you but doesn’t have to be dangerous.
Aim for repetition, not perfection. Consistently facing anxiety, even in small ways, rewires the brain and can increase confidence by showing you what you are capable of accomplishing.
Bottom Line
Anxiety is not a flaw—it’s a signal that something matters. By differentiating real vs. perceived threats, questioning thoughts, and leaning in step by step, you can turn anxiety from a barrier into a guide.
Listen to the signal, check for safety, and move forward with curiosity.
