You text him and he takes six hours to respond. You checked your phone eleven times before he did. So you do the thing you always do. You send another one, lighter this time, something that gives him an easy way back in. And he answers that one faster, and the relief is so physical you almost feel dizzy. Meanwhile, he is sitting on his couch wondering why he feels crowded by someone he genuinely likes. Neither of you is trying to hurt the other. Both of you are getting hurt a

If you've ever been told your anxiety is "just in your head," you already know how unhelpful that is. Because it doesn't feel like it's only in your head. It feels like a racing heart. A tight chest, a stomach in knots, shoulders up around your ears. That's not your imagination. That's your body. Here's a reframe that changes everything: anxiety isn't only a thought problem. It's a physiological state. And once you understand that, you stop trying to think your way out of it