02/08/2026
Anticipatory Stress
Anticipatory stress is the tension the mind and body carry for things that havenβt happened yet.
It often disguises itself as responsibility, planning, or staying ahead, while quietly taxing the nervous system.
Over time, this forward-bracing can turn into anxiety, exhaustion, or emotional dulling.
Much of mental health work is learning how to stop rehearsing the future in order to feel safer in the present.
When today is allowed to close, energy returns and tomorrow no longer needs to be carried early.