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!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ 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...

If the idea of a new year makes your chest tighten instead of feeling hopeful, you are not broken.

In this episode, we talk about why planning feels so heavy when you have anxiety and what actually helps you move forward without shutting down.

Fresh starts are supposed to feel exciting. A new year. A clean slate. A chance to finally get it together. But if you live with anxiety, those moments often feel overwhelming instead of motivating.

This episode is for you if goal setting makes you spiral, vision boards make you feel behind, or planning triggers pressure, guilt, or avoidance. We break down why traditional planning works against an anxious brain and why both overplanning and avoiding plans keep anxiety loud.

You will learn why anxiety struggles with long timelines, why milestones feel like judgment instead of opportunity, and how to reset without forcing yourself to become a different person.

This is not about fixing everything or having your life figured out.
It is about meeting yourself where you are and building forward in a way your nervous system can handle.

Listen through the end for a reminder you probably need right now, especially if you feel behind or exhausted from trying to keep up.

What you will learn in this episode
• Why fresh starts trigger anxiety instead of motivation
• How milestones like new years and birthdays activate pressure and self-doubt
• The two common planning patterns that keep anxious thoughts stuck
• Why traditional goal setting makes anxiety louder
• What a reset is and why it feels safer than starting over
• How to plan in a way that reduces overwhelm
• Five anxiety-friendly steps to regain direction without pressure
• Why rest and recovery are part of progress, not rewards

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!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ 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...

The holidays have a way of turning your body into a problem overnight.

One minute you’re fine.
The next, you’re aware of how your clothes fit, how you look in photos, what you’re eating, and what you promise yourself you’ll fix in January.

If this happens to you, it is not because your body changed.
It is because anxiety is looking for safety.

In this episode of Block Out the Noise, Jessica Davis breaks down why body anxiety spikes during the holidays, why control starts to feel like protection, and why anxiety so often targets your body when you feel watched, judged, or out of routine.

This is not an episode about weight loss, discipline, or loving your body.

It is about understanding why anxiety turns your body into a battleground and how to stop fighting the very thing that keeps you alive.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why body anxiety spikes during the holidays
• How anxiety uses your body as a stand-in for safety and belonging
• Why control and food rules never bring the relief they promise
• What the “moving finish line” really means
• How to shift from monitoring your body to working with it
• How to approach food and movement with care instead of punishment
• How to protect your mind from comparison and overload

This episode is for you if you feel disconnected from your body, exhausted from overthinking food or movement, or stuck in a cycle of self-criticism that gets louder during the holidays.

You do not need to shrink to belong.
You do not need to earn rest, food, or comfort.
And your worth is not something you negotiate with anxiety.

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!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ 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...

Being stuck feels exhausting.

You know what you want. You see the next step. And somehow, you still end up doing nothing. Not because you are lazy. Not because you lack motivation. But because your brain learned a pattern that once kept you safe.

In this episode, we name that pattern. The anxiety loop that keeps you frozen, second-guessing, and returning to the same familiar place even when you want change.

This is part two of our fear conversation. It goes deeper into why avoidance feels relieving, why relief keeps anxiety in control, and how small, intentional shifts help you move forward without forcing yourself to become someone you are not.

In this episode, you’ll learn…
• What an anxiety loop is and why your brain repeats it
• How threat bias shapes overthinking and keeps fear loud
• Why relief reinforces avoidance and strengthens anxiety over time
• How balanced thinking interrupts fear without forcing positivity
• Why anxiety protects an old identity and resists change
• How lowering friction helps you take action without overwhelm
• Why small wins build confidence more effectively than big leaps

This episode is for you if you feel stuck between wanting more and fearing what it might cost. It matters now because anxiety thrives on repetition, and awareness creates your first opening for change.

Alex Hormozi and Jay Shetty Interview
https://youtu.be/gEF67-G9MO0?si=-4WUN7dl04RiwGAf

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!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ 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...

If you have ever felt stuck in your own life, knowing exactly what you want but freezing the moment fear shows up, this episode is for you. Anxiety convinces you that staying still is safer, but waiting only keeps you trapped in self-doubt. It stops you from applying for the job, trying something new, or going after what you want. Fear feels massive when you avoid it, and this episode will show you how to change that.

In this episode, Jessica Davis, licensed therapist and creator of the C.O.U.R.A.G.E. Method, explains why anxious teens and young adults stay stuck and how fear quietly takes over your decisions. You will learn how vague fear grows, how to identify the voice you are afraid of, and why judgment shows up whether you act or stay silent. You will also learn how to take one small step forward even when your hands are shaking.

Resource mentioned:
I was inspired by an interview where Jay Shetty talks with Alex Hormozi about fear and why people stay stuck. You can watch the full interview here.

✨ In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Why fear grows when you avoid it
• How vague fears turn into overwhelming stories
• Why naming your fear makes it smaller
• How other people's opinions shape your confidence
• Why judgment happens whether you act or stay silent
• How to stop letting fear delay the life you want
• What to do when anxiety freezes you
• How to take your first step toward courage

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!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ 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...

If you have ever stayed quiet so you would not stand out, downplayed your accomplishments, or held yourself back because you did not want to make anyone uncomfortable, this episode is for you. Anxiety convinces you that shrinking is safer, but playing small comes at a cost. It keeps you from opportunities, relationships, and the version of you that wants to grow.

In this episode, Jessica Davis, licensed therapist and creator of the C.O.U.R.A.G.E. Method, breaks down why anxious teens and young adults dim their light and how to stop letting fear make your decisions. You will learn why shining bright is not arrogance, how other people’s insecurities shape your confidence, and how to reclaim the parts of you that you buried to feel safe.

✨ In This Episode, You Will Learn:
• Why anxiety convinces you to stay small
• How fear of judgment leads to shrinking
• Why other people’s insecurities impact your confidence
• What it actually means to shine bright
• How to stop apologizing for your strengths
• How to notice when you are dimming your light
• How to rebuild identity when you feel like you have lost yourself
• Why vulnerability is the foundation of real confidence

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!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ 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...

Holidays are supposed to feel joyful, but for many, they bring pressure, anxiety, and guilt. You want to keep the peace, but you also want to protect your mental health. You want to show up, but not lose yourself in the process.

In this episode, Jessica Davis, licensed therapist and creator of the C.O.U.R.A.G.E. Method, breaks down the hidden emotional labor behind family gatherings, why people pleasing is a survival response, and how to set boundaries without feeling like the bad guy. You’ll learn how to manage family expectations, calm anxiety before it spirals, and show up with confidence instead of fear.

✨ In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why holiday anxiety starts weeks before family gatherings
• The hidden reason people pleasing feels “safer”
• How to recognize the signs of emotional burnout around family
• Five practical tools for handling family pressure
• Simple boundary phrases to protect your peace
• How to show up as yourself without guilt or shame

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!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ 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...

You’re sitting on your couch, minding your business, when your heart starts racing and your chest feels tight. There’s no test, no fight, no deadline. Just anxiety that appears out of nowhere.

In this episode, Jessica Davis, licensed therapist and creator of the C.O.U.R.A.G.E. Method, explains why anxiety doesn’t need a reason to show up and what’s actually happening in your brain when it does. She breaks down how to calm your body when your mind feels hijacked, why your brain thinks it’s protecting you, and what to do when you can’t find the “why” behind your anxiety.

✨ In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why anxiety can hit even when nothing is wrong
• What your amygdala does and how it tricks your brain into panic
• The hidden triggers that cause anxiety to feel random
• Why anxiety isn’t the enemy, but a poor communicator
• What your body needs to calm down when your brain spirals
• Three grounding tools to stop the panic cycle and regain control

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!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ 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...