Drop the safety behaviors

Let go of the small avoidances and crutches you use to feel "safe" from anxiety.

Why it works

Safety behaviors — carrying water, sitting near exits, always having an escape — seem to help but quietly teach the brain that you only survived because of the crutch, preserving the underlying fear. Dropping them lets you learn that you are safe without them, which is what actually reduces anxiety over time.

How to do it

1. List the little things you do to feel protected from anxiety.
2. Pick one and deliberately go without it during a manageable situation.
3. Notice that the feared catastrophe did not require the crutch to be avoided.

Evidence

The role of safety behaviors in maintaining anxiety, and the benefit of fading them, is a well-recognized principle in exposure-based treatment. (clinical)

Fade safety behaviors gradually and at your own pace; for severe anxiety this is best done with professional guidance rather than all at once.

Common mistake

Swapping one safety behavior for a subtler one (e.g. replacing avoidance with constant reassurance-seeking) so the underlying message of danger never updates.