How Anxiety Hijacks Your Attention
Sep 10, 2025
Anxiety has a way of sneaking in when the stakes feel high. It could be the restless night before a big race, the nerves before giving a presentation, or the creeping “what if I fail?” thought that pops up in the middle of your workday or while you’re trying to have a meaningful conversation at home.
At first, it feels like a wave of unease. But under the surface, something much bigger is happening—your brain is flipping into alarm mode.
What’s Really Going on in Your Brain
When your brain detects a threat—whether real or imagined—it activates the amygdala, your body’s built-in alarm system. From there, a cascade begins:
- Stress hormones like cortisol flood your system.
- Breathing becomes shallow.
- Muscles tense up.
- Focus narrows sharply.
If you’re being chased by a lion, that response is lifesaving. But when your “threat” is a missed split time, a skeptical audience, or a difficult conversation, this survival system backfires.
Instead of helping you, anxiety traps you in what I call the distraction loop.
The Distraction Loop
Here’s how it usually plays out:
- You feel unease.
- You start scanning for danger or failure.
- You find something that confirms your fear—tight legs, a fast competitor, a skeptical audience, a critical email.
- Anxiety spikes higher.
- The loop repeats.
And the more you spiral, the less access you have to presence, perspective, and flow. You’re no longer connected to the moment—you’re stuck in a mental cage built from “what ifs.”
How This Shows Up Beyond Sports
- At work, you might find yourself rehearsing every possible mistake before a big meeting, instead of focusing on the ideas you want to share.
- In relationships, you may constantly need reassurance that things will “turn out okay,” rather than listening and connecting in the moment.
- At home, you might feel overwhelmed by household responsibilities, scanning for everything that could go wrong instead of tackling what’s in front of you.
- In training or competition, it’s the familiar tension of racing not to lose, rather than competing with freedom.
The outcome is the same no matter the arena: anxiety shrinks your perspective and drains the very energy you need to perform at your best.
Why This Matters
Anxiety doesn’t make you incapable—it makes you distracted. It consumes your attention with managing threat instead of fueling action. Think about it: how many times have you underperformed not because you lacked skill or preparation, but because your mind was hijacked by fear of failure?
The key isn’t to eliminate anxiety—you can’t. The key is to recognize when the loop is starting and then interrupt it so you can return to clarity and presence.
Three Practices to Reclaim Your Attention
- Name the Loop When It Starts
The next time anxiety rises, call it out: “This is the loop starting.” Naming it creates awareness, which is the first step to regaining control. - Shift to a Grounding Cue
Use a physical or mental reset to re-anchor: - A deep breath in and slow breath out.
- A simple phrase like, “Right here, right now.”
- Softening your gaze on a fixed point.
These cues tell your body it’s safe, which helps reset your nervous system. - Reframe the Moment
Instead of asking “What if I fail?” try: “How do I want to show up right now?” That subtle shift reclaims your attention and directs it toward what you can control.
Thoughts to Consider
Anxiety will always show up. It’s wired into you. But it doesn’t have to hijack your attention or shrink your performance. When you learn to notice the loop, disrupt it, and redirect your focus, you take back your freedom to be present—whether you’re racing, presenting, leading, or simply connecting with the people you love.
Your best moments don’t come when you’re fighting anxiety. They come when you’re free enough to show up fully. Break the loop, and you’ll discover clarity, calm, and the version of yourself you’ve been chasing all along.
