27 | Anxiety Lied to You. Here’s How to Fight Back.

Anxiety lied to you. It told you that you’re weak, that you can’t handle it, that you’ll never be enough. But here’s the truth: every anxious moment is a fight — and courage is your way to swing back.

In this powerful episode of Block Out the Noise, Jessica Davis (licensed therapist and creator of the C.O.U.R.A.G.E. Method) takes you inside the ring where anxiety tries to keep you stuck. Through story, metaphor, and real-life examples, she’ll show you why courage isn’t about being fearless — it’s about swinging anyway.

✨ In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why anxiety feels like a fight against yourself (and how to start winning)
• The hidden cost of letting fear call the shots
• How courage grows every time you take action — no matter how small
• Inspiring lessons from Emma Stone, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan on pushing through fear
• A practical way to start building your own “punches” of courage right now

If you’ve ever felt stuck, defeated, or tired of letting anxiety run the show, this episode is your wake-up call. Step into the ring, grab your courage, and fight back.

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!

Grab your FREE 90-Day Courage Challenge Cheat Sheet and start building confidence today.

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🎙️ 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.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Block Out the Noise provides personal insights and practical strategies to help manage anxiety and self-doubt. The content is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional mental health care, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a crisis or need immediate assistance, please contact emergency services or a trusted mental health professional immediately.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
This is a different type of podcast episode.
I wanted something that wouldinspire people after hearing so
many clients share how much theywere struggling, feeling
overwhelmed, anxious andhonestly defeated.
This is for them, but also foryou, if you feel the same way.
Hi and welcome to Blackout theNoise a space for teens and

(00:37):
young adults who are ready toquiet the noise of anxiety,
self-doubt and overthinking andstart building a life filled
with confidence, courage andpurpose.
I'm Jessica Davis, a licensedtherapist, mindset coach and the
creator of the Courage Method.
I specialize in helping teensand young adults with anxiety,
overthinking and low self-esteem.

(00:57):
If you want practical tools tohelp you in this fight, please
download the Anxiety SurvivalToolkit.
You'll find the link in theshow notes.
Also, before we dive in,remember this podcast is here to
support and guide you, but itis not a replacement for talking
to someone in real life.
If you're struggling with yourmental health, please reach out

(01:20):
to a therapist, and if you're incrisis, contact emergency
services or a local helpline.
You don't have to go through italone.
All right, let's cut throughthe noise and get started.
If anxiety runs your life, thisis the fight you're already in,
and today I'll show you how tofight back.
There was a young person whosaid coach, I'm tired of this.

(01:42):
Anxiety runs my life.
I want freedom.
The coach said step inside thering.
But I thought you'd give mestrategies.
You can have all the strategies.
Without courage, nothing works.
Courage comes first.
Put on the gloves.
Their hands shook as theypulled the gloves tight.

(02:06):
Who am I fighting?
The coach pointed to the corner.
Not another fighter, a mirror,their own reflection.
This is a joke.
This is the fight.
Your opponent has always beenyou, your thoughts, your fears.

(02:27):
Step forward.
Their chest tightened, theirmind screamed you can't do this.
The coach roared Throw thepunch.
But they froze.
What if I'm not enough?
What if I make it worse?
What if everyone's watching andI look stupid?
Those are just thoughts.

(02:49):
Swing anyway, but what if Swing?
Finally, they threw the punch.
Crack the mirror spiderwebbed.
But then something happened.
The cracks healed.
The mirror rebuilt itselfclearer than before.
Again, the coach shouted.

(03:11):
This time the reflectionwhispered you'll never be good
enough.
Everyone will laugh at you.
They step back.
I can't.
What if I fail?
Maybe I should just acceptthings the way they are.
What if you succeed?
Swing.

(03:36):
They hesitated, then threwanother punch.
Crash More cracks.
Think about your last anxiousmoment?
Wasn't it just like this fight?
The mirror rebuilt again.
Now it showed every failure,every reason to quit.
The arms felt heavy.

(03:58):
Maybe anxiety is just who I am.
Maybe some people just aren'tmeant to be brave.
The coach stepped closer.
Those excuses feel safe, don'tthey?
But they're keeping you trapped.
What if I'm not ready?
You'll never feel ready.

(04:20):
This is where champions aremade when you want to quit, but
you swing anyway.
They stood there, mind racingwith a hundred reasons to stop.
Finally, one more punch.
The mirror exploded into athousand pieces.
But here's a secret nobody tellsyou.

(04:42):
Every time you shatter themirror, it rebuilds.
What would you do then?
That moment in the ring?
It's the same fight you facewhen you type a text but can't
hit send.
It's the same fight you facewhen you try to do something new
but you let fear stop you.

(05:03):
It's the same fight every day,when you raise your hand in
class, but fear holds you back.
When you post something onsocial media, then delete it
because you're overthinking.
What will people think whenyou're sitting at lunch alone
wanting to join a conversation,but anxiety keeps you frozen?

(05:23):
When you're 24 and still livingat home because applying for
jobs feels impossible whenyou're lying awake at 2 am
replaying every mistake you madethat day.
Every punch is courage.
Every time you move, the mirrorcracks.

(05:46):
But here's where most peoplelose.
They think one punch is enough.
It's not.
Listen to me.
Anxiety has already stolenenough your sleep, your
confidence, your moments.
Don't let it take anymore.

(06:07):
You're already in pain.
Get something out of it.
If you're still listening,you're already different from
most people.
Most people quit when it getsuncomfortable, but you're still
here.
That tells me something aboutyour heart.
If you're still here, thatmeans you're not just listening,

(06:31):
you're in the fight.
That's courage.
Emma Stone thought panicattacks would end her career.
Stone thought panic attackswould end her career, but she
turned that fear into fuel forher Oscar-winning performances.
Kobe Bryant said fear is anillusion.
He trained harder when his bodyscreamed to stop, turned

(06:55):
pressure into championships.
Michael Jordan got cut from hishigh school team.
Imagine if he had quit rightthere.
Instead, he used rejection asfuel to push him beyond what
most people thought would becapable.
Different battles, same courage,same choices.

(07:16):
To keep swinging the shatteredglass was courage.
But courage only matters if youkeep swinging.
So how bad do you want peace?
How bad do you want freedom?
Most people say they want it,but they don't want to step in

(07:39):
the ring.
You are stronger than your tostep in the ring.
You are stronger than your fear.
Step into the ring when youwalk into school instead of
staying home that's a punch.
When you ask someone outdespite the voice saying you'll
be rejected, that's a punch.
When you apply to college, eventhough your brain says you're

(08:03):
not smart enough, that's a punch.
When you audition for the part,when anxiety screams you'll
humiliate yourself, that's apunch.
When you start that businessdespite the voice saying you'll
fail, that's a punch.

(08:25):
Every punch is courage.
Every time you face it, themirror shatters.
Every crack is a win.
Every swing makes you stronger.
Listen, the mirror will alwaysrebuild, but so will you.

(08:45):
The gloves are waiting.
Step into the ring If thismessage hits home for you.
I want you to know somethingyou don't have to fight this
alone.
That anxiety survival toolkit Imentioned.
It's packed with practicaltools to help you build courage
in your daily life.

(09:06):
Grab it for free in the shownotes and remember courage isn't
about feeling fearless.
It's about feeling the fear andchoosing to swing anyway.
Thank you so much for listening.
Until next time time, keepmoving forward, trust yourself
and never forget you have whatit takes to block out the noise.