Ever feel overwhelmed just thinking about work or school?
You haven’t even started the task… but suddenly your chest tightens, your thoughts spiral, and your body goes into alert mode, and you start to worry about many things…
Let me share what’s actually happening — it’s not just you.
Every time we face a situation — like a deadline, a project, or an exam — our brain automatically asks two questions very quickly –
- “Is this a threat?” (Primary appraisal)
- “Can I handle it?” (Secondary appraisal)
If the answer is Yes for the first question, and No for the second question, the body responds as if you’re in danger: heart races, muscles tense, and you start to get anxious.
This is according to the Lazarus and Folkman’s Cognitive Appraisal Theory.
The good news? We can break the cycle or the pattern. However, we have to start something first.
Before we are trying to think differently, we need to feel safe. That’s why we always recommend:
“Calm the body, then guide the mind”
Think about it — when the body or nervous system gets anxious, we can’t even think clearly, not even solutions.
That’s why we must regulate the body first.
And, we have some suggested solutions to help you get through the first question, refer here –