Anxiety: "Inside-Out" and "Outside-In," Part 1
Ashley MP • March 30, 2026
Our culture regards anxiety as a failure, something to hide, to wish into nonexistence. Take a pill, turn on the TV, scroll through social media. Ignore it, bury it, run from it. But there is a better way. Our anxiety can teach us something if we are willing to listen.
In this blog, we will explore two ways to approach anxiety: inside-out and outside-in. The inside-out approach asks us to engage with anxiety by delving into our inner world — our thoughts, memories, and internal narratives. The outside-in approach asks us to engage anxiety as it manifests in our bodies and through bodily practices.
"Inside-Out"
Anxiety is a symptom of being stuck in survival mode: seeing the world as dangerous and threatening. Unable to feel safe and connected to ourselves or others, we scan our environment for threats, sometimes seeing them where they don't actually exist. This view of the world is often learned through traumatic experiences.
Anxiety is also a surface-level emotion, often masking the deep, painful emotions we've gotten used to ignoring. When we approach anxiety without judgment, with curiosity and self-compassion, we open a window into our subconscious. We create an opportunity to know ourselves and to heal a deeper wound.
The next time you feel a pang of anxiety, pause. Practice stillness. Tune into your inner world. Observe your worried thoughts without attaching to them. Ask yourself, “What emotion underlies my anxiety,” or “Does my anxiety have a narrative?”
To use an example: perhaps you feel anxious about your job. The “I'm nervous about an upcoming performance review” is the surface-level anxiety. But delve a little deeper. Do you fear failure because you were told as a child that performance defined your worth? Have you internalized the belief that failure makes you worthless?
Remember too, that not all anxiety is bad. Anxiety pushes us to get out of bed in the morning, to get to work on time, to prepare for a test or presentation, to perform at our best. But when everyday anxieties get compounded with deeper, unprocessed traumas, they can feel overwhelmingly heavy and burdensome.
Regardless of what wounds, emotions, or beliefs prompt your anxiety, you now have the power to rewrite your narrative. Prioritize the inner work, and give yourself space to feel and process your emotions. Slowly but surely, build a belief system that better serves you.
In next month's blog, we will explore "Outside-In:" how anxiety manifests in our bodies, and how we can use bodily practices to heal.
With sincerity and grace,
Ashley, Instructor and Marketing Liaison
Source: The Wisdom of Anxiety by Sheryl Paul
In this blog, we will explore two ways to approach anxiety: inside-out and outside-in. The inside-out approach asks us to engage with anxiety by delving into our inner world — our thoughts, memories, and internal narratives. The outside-in approach asks us to engage anxiety as it manifests in our bodies and through bodily practices.
"Inside-Out"
Anxiety is a symptom of being stuck in survival mode: seeing the world as dangerous and threatening. Unable to feel safe and connected to ourselves or others, we scan our environment for threats, sometimes seeing them where they don't actually exist. This view of the world is often learned through traumatic experiences.
Anxiety is also a surface-level emotion, often masking the deep, painful emotions we've gotten used to ignoring. When we approach anxiety without judgment, with curiosity and self-compassion, we open a window into our subconscious. We create an opportunity to know ourselves and to heal a deeper wound.
The next time you feel a pang of anxiety, pause. Practice stillness. Tune into your inner world. Observe your worried thoughts without attaching to them. Ask yourself, “What emotion underlies my anxiety,” or “Does my anxiety have a narrative?”
To use an example: perhaps you feel anxious about your job. The “I'm nervous about an upcoming performance review” is the surface-level anxiety. But delve a little deeper. Do you fear failure because you were told as a child that performance defined your worth? Have you internalized the belief that failure makes you worthless?
Remember too, that not all anxiety is bad. Anxiety pushes us to get out of bed in the morning, to get to work on time, to prepare for a test or presentation, to perform at our best. But when everyday anxieties get compounded with deeper, unprocessed traumas, they can feel overwhelmingly heavy and burdensome.
Regardless of what wounds, emotions, or beliefs prompt your anxiety, you now have the power to rewrite your narrative. Prioritize the inner work, and give yourself space to feel and process your emotions. Slowly but surely, build a belief system that better serves you.
In next month's blog, we will explore "Outside-In:" how anxiety manifests in our bodies, and how we can use bodily practices to heal.
With sincerity and grace,
Ashley, Instructor and Marketing Liaison
Source: The Wisdom of Anxiety by Sheryl Paul