There are a lot of people dealing with anxiety right now. Not just worry, but something deeper—something harder to shake. It often comes from uncertainty about the future: not knowing what is coming, what will change, or how things will turn out. This is where conversations around how to overcome fear usually begin—but first, you need to understand what you are actually dealing with. Being anxious is normal. It is short-term and situational, while anxiety is persistent, becoming a loop of repeating thoughts with no resolution, no clear trigger, and no off switch.
The difference matters:
- Anxious: temporary, tied to a moment, comes and goes
- Anxiety: ongoing, intrusive, spreads into everything, hard to control
I went through this myself in 2016. For weeks, I could not get out of my own head. The same thoughts kept cycling—life, the universe, everything—on repeat. I would wake up and it was already there. It did not ease, and it took over everything, including my ability to function. It affected more than just my thoughts. It took the enjoyment out of things that should have been good. Even when I was away, I could not switch off. My business came to a complete stop—I had just started it, and suddenly I could not focus, think clearly, or even care about it. That is what anxiety does—it narrows your world until all that exists is the thought you cannot escape.
The turning point was simple: I did not wait. I knew early that this was not something I could solve on my own, so I went to a doctor and spoke to someone who understood. That step matters more than most people realise, especially when you are learning how to overcome fear in a real, practical way. There is a powerful idea often linked to Albert Einstein: the thinking that got you into a problem will not get you out of it. True or not, it applies here—when you are stuck in your own head, you need perspective from outside it.
If you are dealing with anxiety, understand this:
- You are caught in a loop—and loops do not break themselves
- What you are experiencing feels permanent, but it is not
- The longer you stay inside your own thinking, the stronger it feels
It is temporary. It does not feel that way when you are in it—it feels endless—but it will pass. Still, it will not pass by chance. You need the right support system around you. That support might look like a GP, a psychologist, or someone trained to guide you—not just listen. This is where self awareness and leadership become critical. Understanding your own mental patterns is not just personal—it directly impacts how you show up, make decisions, and lead others. If you are handling stress on the job, this becomes even more important, because what you carry does not stay with you—it affects your team, your clarity, and your performance. Seeking help is not weakness—it is responsibility.
One final thing: the stories anxiety tells you feel real. They sound logical and feel like truth, but they are not. Anxiety is built on predicting a future that has not happened, and the certainty you feel is false. What you are telling yourself is not fact—it is fear, and fear does not decide what is real. If you are in it right now, get help. Do not wait. You are not stuck forever, but you do need to step outside your own thinking to move through it.
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Terry Shadwell
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