Read time: 6 minutes.
This is your permission to pause and take a little time for yourself.

Still, it’s constantly running ahead, making educated guesses to predict what might happen next. Neuroscientists call this predictive processing.

Why am I telling you this?

Your brain was built for survival, not happiness. Thousands of years ago, mistaking a rustling bush for a predator kept our ancestors alive. Today, that exact same evolutionary survival tool – known as negativity bias – can cause your mind to skip over ordinary outcomes and jump straight to catastrophe.

When you find yourself in an uncertain situation, fear sometimes becomes the first thing your brain invites into the room. It invents high-stakes stories because dramatic stories are easier for your nervous system to remember. 

Here’s the truth: An imagined disaster is rarely a factual forecast.

The goal isn't to stop your mind from making predictions altogether. It’s not possible, anyway. The goal is to build the deep-seated belief that no matter what outcome unfolds, you possess the capacity to handle it.

So the next time your mind starts predicting a worst-case scenario, do not treat it as an absolute truth. Pause, ground yourself in what is real right now, and remember how resilient you are.

Love,
Jay ❤️

In this episode of On Purpose, I break down why our minds are so quick to jump to the worst-case scenario, from the evolutionary roots of anxiety to why uncertainty can send us into a spiral. I also share 3 practical ways to interrupt anxious thinking, including separating fear from actual evidence and bringing yourself back to what’s true right now.

Remember, I’m in your corner today, tomorrow, and anytime you need a little permission to believe that everything is going to work out.