Let’s look at fear and anxiety - they are different!

Fear kicks in when there’s a present danger or something that might harm us, and we must act instinctively on the fear; if fear says “Don’t do it”, say if it’s a hot coal, then do not pick it up! And there are other situations where there is danger, say a car that’s lost control coming towards us, when we must run out of the way fast! Fear is there to keep us safe from immediate danger. This is a lighthearted but accurate clip about fear from the films Insight Out and Inside Out 2.

Anxiety is trying to keep us safe from things that might happen, and is constantly outguessing future scenarios and trying to limit the risks we might be facing. This can lead to overthinking and catastrophising on an epic scale, which can stop us doing things because we feel scared. Here’s another Inside Out clip, this time about anxiety.

The difficulty for us humans is that fear and anxiety feel the same, with the same physical sensations, and so anxiety’s pull on us feels just as real and immediate as fear. However, if we can learn to tell the difference, we can pause when anxiety is around and mindfully consider our options instead of rushing into fight/flight. One option when we’re anxious might be not to do the thing, but that’s a choice rather than an instinctive reaction. Other choices include doing the thing, but mindfully and if necessary asking for help. That’s what we can learn and put into practice.

The films Inside Out and Inside Out 2 introduce us to other emotions too.