How anxious girls ACTUALLY make bold moves:

Honestly, I wish someone had told me sooner that anxiety doesn’t have to stop you from making big moves, changes, or bold decisions. For so long, I refused to follow my heart and kept myself in my comfort zone instead, because I thought I was just “too anxious for stuff like that.”

The thought of buying myself a van and packing up to travel on my own filled me with so much excitement and passion - feelings that were quickly trampled by anxiety and self-doubt.

If I could restart my life, I’d remind myself that I can still make bold moves despite anxiety — and these are the steps I’d consider:

1.      Anxiety gets worse when the “move” isn’t specific.

Instead of: “I want a different life,”
clarify: “I want to apply for X / say no to Y / move out / have the conversation / post the video / book the flight.”

2.      Expect fear.

Anxiety can make us think, “If I were meant to do this, I wouldn’t feel this scared.”
In reality, fear is a natural nervous system response to uncertainty.
Let the fear be there while you move.

3.      Shrink the move to the smallest step.

Every bold move has small, actionable steps in between.
Ask yourself: “What’s the smallest action I could take?”
Then ask again: “What’s even smaller than that?”
Now you have two doable steps to start with — like researching, booking something, or buying equipment.

4.     Regulate before and after the action.

Before:
slow your breath
come into your body
remind yourself that you’re safe

After:
pause
notice you survived
let your body register success

Compared to positive thinking - this is how self-trust is actually built.

5.     Don’t over-analyse the outcome after you take the step.

Anxious minds want certainty immediately.
Instead of asking:
“Was that the right decision?”
Ask:
“What did I learn? What am I ready for next?”