Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural emotional response to stress, experienced by everyone at some point. It can range from mild unease to intense feelings of dread or panic. At its core, anxiety is a protective mechanism, designed to alert us to perceived threats. Today's sources of anxiety, such as work pressure, trauma or societal and family expectations, are typically linked to perceived dangers like failure, judgment or criticism. 

Anxiety is fundamentally the fear of the unknown, often triggered when we lack trust in ourselves and our ability to navigate the situations around us. When we feel uncertain about how to handle challenges or confront our personal fears, this can spiral into panic and anxiety. The causes of anxiety are unique to each person, so understanding its root causes is essential for addressing it and creating lasting change.

One transformative approach to managing anxiety is shifting how we relate to it. Rather than viewing anxiety as an enemy to fight or ignore, we can reframe it as a messenger, signalling that something within us is out of alignment. From an early age, many of us are taught to suppress or “push through” anxious feelings, but by embracing anxiety as a natural response, we can start to understand what might be unsettling internally. Approaching anxiety with curiosity rather than fear allows us to learn from it.

Anxiety can also stem from the fear of rejection or disapproval, often rooted in early experiences of emotional neglect or invalidation. When we suppress our authentic feelings and needs in order to avoid rejection, we create an internal conflict. This conflict arises when our true selves are at odds with the persona or mask we present externally to gain acceptance. As we disconnect from our authentic selves and rely on external validation, anxiety builds because we are out of alignment with our core values and desires, leading to an underlying sense of unease and fear.

Healing this cycle involves reconnecting with a strong sense of ourselves and developing internal validation. By setting healthy boundaries, recognising and honouring our emotions, and learning to trust ourselves, we begin to reduce the anxious need for external approval. As we move toward internal alignment and self-acceptance, the anxiety tied to validation and rejection diminishes, fostering emotional resilience and self-stability.