Where Does Anxiety Come From?

Have you ever wondered why anxiety takes hold, often without warning or explanation? The roots of anxiety can always be traced back to two key factors: time and thought. Anxiety is closely linked to the fear that negative experiences from the past will recur in the future.

Here’s how it works: the mind takes a painful experience from the past, unconsciously brings it into the present, and projects it forward into the future. This creates a cycle of persistent anxious thoughts and emotions that can overwhelm us. Before we know it, we’re caught in a loop of reliving past pain and worrying about future possibilities.

But here’s the reassuring part—this cycle, as distressing as it may feel, is simply a natural mechanism of the mind. It’s your brain’s way of trying to protect you from potential threats, even if those threats are imagined and not physically present. Once you understand this process, it becomes much easier to see the way out: breaking free from the endless projection of past experiences into the future by focusing on the present moment.

Anxiety Is Not Your Natural State

It’s important to recognise that anxiety is not our natural state of being. We aren’t born with it. As babies and young children, we respond only to genuine threats, such as hunger or physical danger. However, as we grow, we accumulate a wide range of experiences—moments of joy, challenges, and adversity.

All of these experiences, along with the beliefs and emotions tied to them, are stored in our subconscious mind. While we may not be fully aware of them, they have a significant influence on our behaviour and reactions.

For example, hearing a song on the radio might suddenly lift your mood as it reminds you of a happy memory. Conversely, a particular smell or sound might trigger a painful memory, activating your fight-flight-freeze response, even when no real threat is present.

The Power of the Subconscious Mind

Our subconscious mind is incredibly powerful, guiding an estimated 90–95% of our reactions and behaviours. It works much like a supercomputer, processing thoughts, decisions, and actions without requiring conscious effort.

Take learning to drive as an example. Initially, every action—checking your mirrors, signalling, adjusting your speed—requires conscious focus. However, over time, these actions become second nature, handled seamlessly by your subconscious mind.

This is the beauty of the subconscious—it helps us navigate life on autopilot in many ways. However, it doesn’t always lead us to respond in the most helpful or effective way. Painful memories stored in the subconscious can sometimes trigger anxiety, steering us into the fight-flight-freeze response even when there’s no real danger.

Breaking Free from the Cycle

Understanding that anxiety stems from your subconscious projections of past pain into the future is empowering. It shows that anxiety isn’t who you are; it’s just a response. By becoming aware of this process and grounding yourself in the present moment, you can begin to break free from the cycle.

Anxiety doesn’t have to control your life. The more you understand its origins, the closer you move towards reclaiming your natural state of peace and resilience.