“Action absorbs anxiety“
—Angeles Arrien
When I was young, separation anxiety held me in its grip. I remember the tightness in my chest, the knot in my stomach whenever I was away from home. Birthday parties, sleepovers, even school—everything felt like a small battle I wasn’t ready to fight. There was no real danger, nothing obvious to explain it. Just that constant hum in my mind, growing louder the farther I was from the familiar, from the people who made me feel safe.
I felt too old to be feeling it. Too old to duck out of parties, skip sleepovers, even avoid school. It was embarrassing. Everyone else seemed so comfortable, so free. Meanwhile, I was locked inside my own head—watching the world from behind glass, unable to join in.
I didn’t have the words for it then. I only knew that avoidance felt safer than engagement. That sitting still felt easier than taking a step.
Now, years later, my mind is more mature, my perspective wider. The anxious thoughts still visit—sometimes quietly, sometimes all at once—but I’ve come to understand something important: the way through anxiety is action. Not overthinking, not waiting for it to pass, but moving—doing—taking steps, however small, that shift your energy and your focus.
Anxious at work? Stop the spiral and begin the work itself. Solve one small problem, then the next. Worried about something you said last night? Step outside. Let your body move until your mind finds its footing again. Struggling with self-doubt? Do something tangible: write, create, move, fix, help—let your hands guide your mind.
Action doesn’t always erase anxiety. But it reshapes it. It takes all that restless energy and gives it somewhere to go.
And today, it’s even easier to get stuck in your head. To sit alone, convinced you’re “connected” to the world because your phone is in your hand. Make no mistake—this is the opposite of connection. It’s a drug that feeds your mental spirals and keeps you still.
Put the phone down. Step into the real world. Walk. Move. Call a friend. Feel the air, hear the sounds, see the people around you.
Action is out here—where life is happening.
—Joe