Worth knowing Mood

Approach the thing you are avoiding, gradually

Avoidance is what maintains anxiety. Not the fear itself.

Strong evidenceReplicated across multiple good trials or meta-analyses.
What it costs Weeks, uncomfortable

Do this

List the feared situations from mildly uncomfortable to worst. Start near the bottom. Stay in the situation until the anxiety drops noticeably, rather than leaving when it peaks. Repeat until it is boring, then move up. Do not use distraction or reassurance-seeking while you are in it.

Why it works

Every avoidance is a small confirmation that the threat was real and you escaped it, which strengthens the fear. Repeated approach without the feared outcome updates the prediction. Exposure-based therapy is among the most strongly supported psychological treatments that exists.

Where it fails

Doing it badly can sensitise rather than habituate - too big a jump, or leaving at peak anxiety, makes things worse. For trauma, panic disorder or OCD this should be done with a clinician, not improvised from an article.

How you’ll know

The same step should produce less anxiety on the fourth attempt than the first. If it does not, the step is too large or you are subtly avoiding within it.