Anxiety Is Part of Our Survival Toolkit
The evolutionary origin of anxiety
Anxiety is not a bug — it’s a feature. Over millions of years, living creatures evolved mechanisms to detect danger, respond fast, and act to survive. Fear and anxiety are part of a built-in alarm system. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
In the wild, if you hear a rustle in the bushes, a sudden jump or tension in your body could save you from a predator. It activates the fight-or-flight response: faster heartbeat, sharper senses, readiness to act.
This ancient system still runs in all of us. However, in modern life, life threats are rare or mostly symbolic (such as financial concerns, relationships, news, etc.), rather than actual predators lurking in the bushes. And that’s where the strain begins.
False alarms and mismatches
Because our brain is wired to err on the side of caution (better safe than sorry), it sometimes misfires. This is known as the “false alarm” phenomenon: the brain triggers anxiety when there’s no real, immediate danger. (columbiapsychiatry.org)
Also, we live in a world vastly different from the one humanity adapted to. This is called evolutionary mismatch — we carry Stone Age wiring into a hyperconnected, fast-paced world where we need to adjust daily to a new reality and way of life. (en.wikipedia.org)
A theoretical model by Meacham & Bergstrom (2015) argues that individuals sometimes get “stuck” in over-sensitive anxiety because they stop sampling (rechecking reality) and thus never correct false threat perceptions. (arxiv.org)
Our Age of Overload: Why Anxiety Feels More Constant
From local life to global noise
A century ago, most people encountered information relevant to their daily survival, including weather, crops, local events, and their neighbors. News from distant lands was rare, and most of us didn’t worry about world-scale crises. Usually, if people possessed this kind of information, they held more power to take action.
Now, when we are online 24/7, we ingest far more data than our brains are designed to handle, plus most of these events we can’t control or influence in any way. This constant inflow of responsibilities without power is a key driver of chronic anxiety.
Cognitive overload and paralysis
When your brain receives more information than it can process, it may freeze or feel overwhelmed — sometimes called “cognitive overload.” (mayoclinichealthsystem.org)
You may experience:
- Decision fatigue (difficulty making even small decisions).
- Feeling paralyzed or stuck.
- Mental exhaustion.
- Rising stress.
- Lack of motivation and focus.
Social media, doomscrolling, and threat amplification
Social media and news platforms amplify negative content, triggering more threat signals. Overload from social feeds is linked to increased anxiety, distorted perceptions of danger, and negative judgment loops. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
One popular behavior is doomscrolling — continuously consuming negative news, which keeps the threat alarm active. (verywellhealth.com)
For example, you read about a climate disaster, worry or feel guilty that you’re powerless, read more climate articles, feel more anxiety — a loop with no resolution.
Where the Confusion Comes From: Brain vs. Reality
The mismatch between “danger signal” and real threat
Your brain frequently interprets ambiguous signals as danger, such as social tension or injustice, uncertainty about the future, news of conflicts or accidents. But many aren’t life-threatening for you in the way ancient humans needed to worry about.
Your nervous system doesn’t always know whether a threat is physical (a predator) or symbolic (financial, social, or ecological); it simply reacts.
Example: You feel “on edge” about the economy
You see negative news about markets, inflation, climate, and foreign conflicts. Your brain flags “uncertainty = danger” and floods your system with stress hormones. But in your day-to-day life, you’re safe. The mismatch triggers chronic tension, leading your body into a constant state of survival mode, where it uses all your energy and resources to support it. It’s no wonder that after some time, you feel completely exhausted and lost.
Emotional misinterpretation
Sometimes anxiety is not about the thing you fear, but about what it represents. For instance:
- Fear of failure may conceal fear of judgment and rejection.
- Worry about health might mask existential fears.
- Social anxiety may stem from deeper self-worth concerns.
Unpacking all these layers step by step requires developing emotional awareness.
How Emotional Awareness Helps You Reprogram the Alarm
You can’t (and shouldn’t) eliminate anxiety entirely - it has a protective role. However, you can learn to distinguish between real and symbolic threats to reduce unnecessary worrying and restore emotional balance.
Step 1: Observe without judgment
When anxiety appears, pause and try to look at it from a distance, like an observer:
- What triggered my anxiety?
- What sensations in my body represent it (chest tightness, agitation, etc.)?
- What makes me interpret it as a danger?
Label it: “This is anxiety,” not “I am anxious again, I can’t control it…”
Step 2: Ask: Is this a real threat now?
Is my life or immediate safety at risk? Probably not. Recognize that many threat signals are symbolic or anticipatory. Don’t forget that our brains can lie to us. Not all our thoughts are facts.
Step 3: Reflect on the root
Where is this coming from?
- Is it my own perception, or do I adopt someone else’s?
- How has it really influenced my life? Will it be so important in 2 hours, 5 days, or a year?
- Is it a new one or is it an old pattern?
This reflection helps uncover the deeper roots of your state and distinguish what lies behind.
Step 4: Take small grounding actions
- Pause with deep breathing or simple meditation. Our brain can trick us into anxiety, but you can also trick your brain into a state of calm by showing it that there is no apparent danger right now, and deep, calm breathing is a sign of it.
- Shift focus: go for a walk, listen to favorite music, or watch a movie.
- Journal a few lines. Fears lessen when we name them; unknown threats make us feel more stressed than ones we understand.
- Connect to your loved ones for support. We’re social creatures, and we need it now more than ever.
These steps interrupt the loop of anxiety and give your system time to settle and regain control.
Step 5: Track emotions over time
This is where Sphera can be your everyday companion in your emotional wellbeing journey. By regularly checking in with your emotions (especially overthinking, anxiety, uncertainty), you can:
- Notice patterns (e.g. “After news, I feel worse”).
- Connect triggers to feelings.
- Learn how to ground yourself in times of crisis.
- See your progress as anxiety responses shift.
- Build emotional intelligence and self-understanding.
Over time, the act of tracking itself becomes a regulatory habit — it calms your brain, making the unknown more familiar by providing structure and perspective around feeling.
🌿 About Sphera — Your Companion for Emotional Awareness
Sphera is a science-based emotional journaling app created together with practicing psychologists with more than 20 years of clinical experience.
It’s built on Paul Ekman’s theory of basic emotions, helping you recognize what you truly feel — and why.
Unlike simple mood trackers, Sphera helps you map emotional patterns, understand triggers, and find meaning behind anxiety, fear, or sadness. It combines emotional journaling, reflection prompts, and data-driven insights to support your mental wellbeing.
“When people begin to name and track their emotions, they stop being controlled by them — awareness turns confusion into clarity,”
says Julia S., licensed clinical psychologist and Sphera’s expert consultant.
Use Sphera daily to:
- Identify what triggers your anxiety.
- Track emotions to reveal hidden causes.
- Learn tools to reduce anxiety through awareness.
👉 Download Sphera and begin your emotional awareness journey: