• What has anxiety taken from you?
• Why does it hurt more than people realize?
• What if you are not weak, but grieving?

In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down the grief that can come with anxiety. Not the kind of grief people always recognize, but the quiet grief of missed opportunities, lost friendships, avoided moments, and the version of yourself you thought you would be by now.

Jessica explains why anxiety can make your world smaller over time and how that loss can turn into self-blame, shame, and harsh inner criticism. You’ll learn how to name what anxiety has taken, respond to the inner critic, build a stronger countervoice, and begin moving forward without pretending the loss did not matter.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Why anxiety can create real grief
• How to name what anxiety has taken from you
• Why self-blame keeps you stuck in the loss loop
• How to recognize the inner critic, worrier, perfectionist, and victim voice
• Why a countervoice helps you push back against negative self-talk
• How letter writing can help you process grief and imagine a future beyond anxiety

Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!

RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!

JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health

This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.

Links:
Anxiety Survival Toolkit:
https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/

Newsletter:
https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome

Davis-Smith Mental Health:
https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/

1:1 Confidence Coaching:
https://tidycal.com/blockoutthenoise/confidence-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical stra...

• Why does teen anxiety feel so invisible?
• Why do some teens stop talking when they need help the most?
• What if your teen does not need you to fix it first but to listen?

In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down what teens and adults who struggled with anxiety wish their parents understood sooner. After reading through real stories from people who grew up with anxiety, Jessica shares the patterns that kept showing up: feeling unheard, waiting too long for help, fear around medication, and the pain of carrying anxiety alone.

This episode is not about blaming parents. It is about helping parents understand what anxiety can look like in teens, why it is easy to miss, and how support can start before you have all the answers. Jessica explains why listening matters, why therapy can help even when you do not fully understand what your teen is feeling, and why doing something imperfect is better than waiting for the perfect moment.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Why teen anxiety is easy to miss
• How listening helps teens feel less alone
• Why parents do not need all the answers to get help
• How anxiety can look like anger, avoidance, or shutdown
• Why therapy and medication should be explored with curiosity

Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!

RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!

JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health

This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.

Links:
Anxiety Survival Toolkit:
https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/

Newsletter:
https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome

Davis-Smith Mental Health:
https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/

1:1 Confidence Coaching:
https://tidycal.com/blockoutthenoise/confidence-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical stra...

• Why does anxiety still show up when someone looks strong?
• What if mental toughness is not about pushing through everything?
• What if fear is loud, but not always right?

In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down what Olympians understand about anxiety, pressure, self-doubt, and mental strength. Through the stories of Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, and Naomi Osaka, this episode shows that anxiety does not disappear just because someone is successful, talented, or seen as strong by the world.

Jessica connects each athlete’s story to a lesson from the C.O.U.R.A.G.E. Method. You’ll hear how Simone Biles showed self-compassion, how Michael Phelps acted despite uncertainty, and how Naomi Osaka reminded us that fear is not fact. If you’ve ever felt like you should be able to “just handle it,” this episode will help you see strength in a different way.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Why anxiety can affect anyone, even elite athletes
• What Simone Biles teaches us about self-compassion
• How Michael Phelps shows the power of asking for help
• Why Naomi Osaka’s story proves fear is not fact
• How to take the next step even when anxiety is loud

Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!

RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!

JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health

This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.

Links:
Anxiety Survival Toolkit:
https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/

Newsletter:
https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome

Davis-Smith Mental Health:
https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/

1:1 Confidence Coaching:
https://tidycal.com/blockoutthenoise/confidence-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical stra...

• Why does anxiety spike before a big moment?
• Why do you feel unprepared even when you know what to do?
• What if you need an anxiety warm-up the same way athletes need a game-day warm-up?

This episode is part of Jessica’s series, What Athletes Can Teach You About Anxiety, where she uses lessons from sports to explain pressure, confidence, self-doubt, and mental strength in everyday life.

In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down how athletes prepare before high-pressure moments and turns those lessons into a simple four-step anxiety warm-up called PREP. Athletes do not walk straight into the game hoping they feel ready. They move their bodies, calm their breathing, review the plan, and use routines to get their mind in the right place.

If you’ve ever walked into something anxious, tense, distracted, or already convinced you were not ready, this episode gives you a simple system to use before pressure takes over. Jessica explains how preparation builds confidence, why breathing helps calm your nervous system, how to reset anxious thoughts, and how to mentally rehearse the first step instead of spiraling about the whole outcome.

You’ll learn how to use PREP (Pause, Reset, Envision, and Prime) as a quick anxiety routine before school, work, practice, hard conversations, or any moment where your mind starts telling you to avoid, freeze, or shut down.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Why anxiety spikes before big moments
• How athletes prepare their minds before pressure
• What the PREP framework is and how to use it
• How breathing helps calm your fight-or-flight response
• Why one believable phrase helps reset anxious thoughts
• How envisioning the first step lowers overwhelm
• How a simple priming routine tells your brain it is time to move forward

Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!

RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!

JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health

This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.

Links:
Anxiety Survival Toolkit:
https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/

Newsletter:
https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome

Davis-Smith Mental Health:
https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/

1:1 Confidence Coaching:
https://tidycal.com/blockoutthenoise/confidence-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical stra...

• Why does your brain freeze under pressure?
• Why do simple tasks suddenly feel impossible to start?
• What if you’re not lazy, unmotivated, or broken, but stuck in the same pressure cycle athletes face when they choke?

This episode is part of Jessica’s series, What Athletes Can Teach You About Anxiety, where she uses lessons from sports to explain how anxiety, pressure, confidence, and self-doubt show up in everyday life.

In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down what happens when anxiety, overwhelm, and pressure make you feel frozen. Using sports as the example, she explains why even skilled athletes miss shots when the moment feels too big, and why the same thing happens in everyday life with schoolwork, job applications, cleaning, responsibilities, and decisions.

If you’ve ever felt stuck even though you wanted to move forward, this episode will help you understand why pushing harder does not always work. Jessica explains how pressure builds, why big lists sometimes make anxiety worse, and how small wins help your brain rebuild trust.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Why your brain can “choke” under pressure
• How anxiety and overwhelm make it harder to start
• Why staring at a huge to-do list can increase stress
• Why taking a break sometimes turns into avoidance
• How athletes rebuild confidence through small reps
• Why the easiest win is often the best place to start
• How the “one rep method” helps you create momentum
• How AI can help you break overwhelming tasks into smaller steps
• Why momentum often comes before motivation
• How celebrating small wins helps rebuild confidence and self-trust

Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!

RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!

JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health

This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.

Links:
Anxiety Survival Toolkit:
https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/

Newsletter:
https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome

Davis-Smith Mental Health:
https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/

1:1 Confidence Coaching:
https://tidycal.com/blockoutthenoise/confidence-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical stra...

• Why does your anxiety feel worse even when nothing major is happening?
• Why do you feel tense, drained, distracted, or on edge even when you’re doing the same things everyone else seems to be doing?
• What if some of the habits you think are normal are quietly keeping your anxiety active every single day?

In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down six everyday habits that might be fueling your anxiety without you realizing it. These are not dramatic life choices. They are normal things like chasing energy with caffeine, staying glued to your phone, ignoring your body, avoiding movement, numbing out, and letting negative self-talk run unchecked.

If you’ve ever wondered why your anxiety is not getting better, this episode will help you look at the daily patterns that might be keeping your nervous system stuck on high alert. Jessica explains how small habits build over time, why your body reacts the way it does, and why changing even one pattern helps you feel more grounded, capable, and in control.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Why normal daily habits might be making your anxiety worse
• How caffeine affects your nervous system and fight-or-flight response
• Why phone use, scrolling, and FOMO feed anxiety and disconnection
• How ignoring hunger, exhaustion, and body cues increases stress
• Why anxiety needs movement instead of stillness
• How numbing out with food, alcohol, gaming, sugar, or other escapes keeps anxiety alive
• Why negative self-talk lowers confidence and makes anxiety feel stronger
• How changing one habit helps you build self-trust and momentum
• Why you do not have to fix everything at once to start feeling better

Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!

RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!

JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health

This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.

Links:
Anxiety Survival Toolkit:
https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/

Newsletter:
https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome

Davis-Smith Mental Health:
https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/

1:1 Confidence Coaching:
https://tidycal.com/blockoutthenoise/confidence-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical stra...

• Why do hard conversations feel so scary, even when you know something needs to be said?
• Why do you stay quiet when someone crosses a line, hurts your feelings, or pushes a boundary?
• What if staying silent is not protecting your relationships, but slowly creating resentment and distance?

In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down why speaking up feels so hard when you struggle with anxiety, people-pleasing, or self-doubt. If you’ve ever rehearsed a conversation in your head, talked yourself out of saying what you feel, or stayed quiet to keep the peace, this episode will help you understand what is happening underneath the surface.

She explains how the fawn response shows up in hard conversations, why your nervous system reacts like conflict is danger, and why avoiding difficult conversations often creates more emotional pain over time. You’ll also learn why conflict is not the enemy of healthy relationships, avoidance is.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Why staying quiet feels safe in the moment
• How people-pleasing keeps you stuck in anxiety and resentment
• What the fawn response is and why it makes you shrink during conflict
• Why avoiding hard conversations creates distance and disconnection
• Why conflict is not the problem, but avoidance often is
• How to speak up before your emotions build and come out sideways
• Why “I feel” statements help you communicate without attacking
• How using your voice builds confidence and self-trust

Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!

RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!

JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health

This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.

Links:
Anxiety Survival Toolkit:
https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/

Newsletter:
https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome

Davis-Smith Mental Health:
https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/

1:1 Confidence Coaching:
https://tidycal.com/blockoutthenoise/confidence-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical stra...

• Why does working on yourself make your anxiety worse instead of better?
• Why do you feel more overwhelmed after you finally decide to change?
• What if this anxiety is not a sign to stop, but a sign that what you’re doing actually matters?

In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down why anxiety often increases when you start working on yourself. If you’ve ever set a goal, started a new habit, or tried to improve your life and felt more stressed, more overwhelmed, or ready to quit, this episode will help you understand why.

She explains how your nervous system reacts when something feels important, why anxiety and excitement feel the same in your body, and how the avoidance cycle keeps you stuck. You’ll also learn how to tell the difference between anxiety that means “this matters” and anxiety that signals misalignment.

This episode walks you through six clear steps to help you stop quitting in moments of overwhelm, make decisions with a clear mind, and stay consistent even when progress feels slow. If you’ve been stuck in the cycle of starting and stopping, this will help you move forward with confidence and clarity.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Why anxiety often gets worse when you start working on yourself
• How your brain connects anxiety with avoidance and quitting
• The difference between anxiety that signals growth and anxiety that signals misalignment
• Why you should not make decisions when you feel overwhelmed
• How to pause without quitting and break the stop-start cycle
• Five questions to help you get clear on what you want
• Why your core values determine whether you should keep going
• How to handle the “middle phase” where nothing feels like it’s working
• Why most people quit too early and how to avoid it

Got a question or feedback? Text us and share your thoughts—we’d love to hear from you!

RESOURCES:
Get your FREE Anxiety Survival Toolkit to help you when your anxiety is overwhelming!

JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety!

📱 Follow Us:

Instagram | Facebook | Threads

🎙️ Presented by Davis-Smith Mental Health

This podcast was created by Davis-Smith Mental Health, offering counseling for teens & young adults in Illinois (only). We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, and self-pay clients.

Links:
Anxiety Survival Toolkit:
https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/

Newsletter:
https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome

Davis-Smith Mental Health:
https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/

1:1 Confidence Coaching:
https://tidycal.com/blockoutthenoise/confidence-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical stra...