A big part of anxiety comes from “what if” kind of thinking. You’ve probably asked yourself some “what if” questions at some point, as in “What if I don’t do a good job on the Wilson project?” or “What if I say the wrong thing on my date?”

There are some major problems with asking yourself this question. First, it assumes that you’re going to fail in some way. Second, it takes you out of the present and into the future, where anxiety lives.

Third, it is a question driven by fear