45 | Why You Should Stop Fighting Anxiety and Start Using It

Why does anxiety hit hardest right before something important?

Why does it get louder even when you have handled similar situations before?

What if anxiety isn't something you need to get rid of, but something you were never taught how to use?

Anxiety often shows up right before moments that matter. A test. A presentation. A game. A conversation you care about. When it does, most advice focuses on calming down or making the feeling stop. When that fails, anxiety starts to feel personal.

In this episode, Jessica Davis explains why anxiety behaves this way and why it often intensifies instead of fading with experience. You will learn how the brain mistakes importance for danger, why anxious thoughts ignore past success, and why panic is often a signal of care rather than failure.

You will also learn how confident people experience the same physical symptoms of anxiety and interpret them differently. Instead of fighting the feeling, they work with it. This episode walks you through how to make that shift and gives you practical tools you can use the moment anxiety shows up.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
• Why anxiety spikes around the things you care about most
• The brain pattern that fuels worst case thinking
• Why fighting anxiety makes it stronger
• How to reinterpret physical panic sensations
• Three simple strategies to work with anxiety in real time
• A five step grounding checklist you can use anywhere

Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!

RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!

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🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health

This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.

Links:
Anxiety Survival Toolkit:
https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/

Davis-Smith Mental Health:
https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/

1:1 Confidence Coaching:
https://tidycal.com/blockoutthenoise/confidence-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical strategies to help manage anxiety and self-doubt. The content is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional mental health care, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a crisis...