The 10 Minutes That Change Everything
Most people think confidence comes before doing scary things.
The truth is the opposite.
Confidence is what happens after you stay.
This Week’s Exposure Challenge
Choose a public place that causes mild to moderate anxiety.
Examples:
Coffee shop
Grocery store
Mall
Restaurant
Park
Airport waiting area
Your mission is simple:
Stay 10 minutes longer than your anxiety wants you to.
Step 1
Go to the location.
Don’t wait until you feel calm.
Go exactly as you are.
Step 2
Notice the first urge to leave.
Maybe your heart starts racing.
Maybe you feel dizzy.
Maybe your brain says:
“Let’s get out of here before this gets worse.”
That moment is the beginning of the exercise.
Step 3
Start a timer for 10 minutes.
Not when you arrive.
When the urge to escape appears.
Step 4
Allow the anxiety to be there.
You do not need to:
Control it
Fight it
Distract yourself
Make it disappear
Simply stay.
Step 5
When the timer ends, leave if you want.
The goal is not to feel comfortable.
The goal is to teach your brain:
“I can stay even when I’m uncomfortable.”
Why This Works
Every time we escape, anxiety learns:
“Good thing we left. That place was dangerous.”
Every time we stay, anxiety learns:
“Maybe this wasn’t dangerous after all.”
That is how confidence is rebuilt.
One small victory at a time.
If you’d like a few more practical exercises you can use this week, I’ve put together a free PDF with 6 techniques that helped me navigate GAD and panic attacks:
https://mikeigartua.com/anxiety-relief/
I hope it helps. God bless.