26/10/2025
Anxiety when you’re masking it is like screaming inside your own head while your face stays still.
It’s sitting in a room full of people and feeling like your heart is about to tear through your ribs, but you’re nodding and smiling like you’re fine.
It’s answering,
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
when every cell in your body is begging you to say help me.
It’s holding your breath without meaning to.
Clenching your jaw so hard it aches later.
Keeping your hands still because if they shake, someone might notice.
Your mind is doing three things at once:
1. Trying to act normal.
2. Fighting the rising panic.
3. Judging every move you make.
And nobody sees it.
Because you’ve become good at it.
Too good.
You learned how to laugh while your chest is burning.
You learned how to talk while your throat is tight.
You learned how to be “the strong one,” the calm one, the one who doesn’t fall apart.
But inside?
You’re running.
You’re shaking.
You’re tired.
So tired.
And the worst part is… people think you’re fine. They think you’re coping. They think you’re confident.
They don’t see that you’re surviving every second of the moment they’re just casually living.
Masking anxiety isn’t just pretending.
It’s carrying a storm alone so no one feels uncomfortable watching you weather it. Trying to mask and cover everything to make it right for everyone but you..
And it leaves you exhausted in a way sleep can’t fix...
Does this resonate with you?
Have you tried to "control " it but feel like you aren't in control at all?
www.hypnotherapypembrokeshire.co.uk
