An illustration of five faces in profile with a gradient of emotions. The leftmost face is the most anxious, depicted in a purple-red shade with fire bursting out of their head and exclamation points ringing out in their head. Each following face becomes more calm and fades to a medium blue color.

As bad as it feels, anxiety is essential, says psychotherapist Britt Frank, author of The Science of Stuck. It can be a helpful warning signal that something is off, or even dangerous. But when anxiety hits, it’s hard to remember its importance. In this episode, Frank explains what we can do to feel more centered when we anxiety makes us feel overwhelmed — so we can listen to what it’s telling us. This episode was originally published on May 23, 2023.

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