Some forms of anxiety are loud.
Others are subtle.
They slip into your day quietly — disguised as busyness, irritability, perfectionism, or just… a vague sense that you’re not fully present in your own life.
They don’t knock on the door.
They live in your muscles, in your late-night overthinking, in the way you cancel something that matters — because you’re too tired, too wired, or too unsure.
What hidden anxiety can look like:
You snap at someone you love, then feel shame for hours.
You wake up tired no matter how much you sleep.
You avoid opening emails — or over-check them.
You can’t seem to rest, but you’re also not really doing anything.
You forget what joy feels like.
You think: “Maybe this is just how I am.”
It’s not weakness.
It’s a nervous system asking for help.
How to begin again
You don’t need to fix everything.
You just need to begin noticing.
Take 2 minutes to be still before you start your day.
Write down one thing you’re avoiding — without forcing a solution.
Let yourself feel what you’re feeling without making it a problem.
You’re allowed to feel anxious and still live meaningfully.
You’re allowed to pause without falling behind.
Prefer to listen instead of read right now?
In this short video, I talk about how anxiety can hide behind productivity or perfectionism — and how we can gently bring those patterns into the light.
You don’t have to carry this alone
If you recognise yourself in this — and you want to talk to someone who gets it — I’m here.
We can explore gentle, doable ways to come back to yourself.
