Sometimes we observe hidden anxiety, with the conscious mind unaware of it. When anxiety hits, it doesn't only affect emotional behavior but also reflects in cognitive behaviors and physical symptoms. Sometimes it's due to an obvious reason at work i.e. someone is not respecting your red lines, and your belief about protecting those boundaries, along with your inability to express yourself, causes the anxiousness within you. Or you encounter a seller not fulfilling a contracted obligation, which contradicts your belief in receiving quality service in exchange for money, and you become defensive and try to protect your money. These situations heighten your body's fight-or-flight responses, and you quickly regain control.

Sometimes you aren't aware of the obvious reason, but behind the scenes, your subconscious perceives a threat to your belief system. You're working extra hours or consistently on weekends and enjoying the work, unintentionally going beyond the limit. But the belief or the intensity of the belief stored in your subconscious mind about working hours or weekends contradicts that. You were enjoying the work, but the body unconsciously perceived it as a threat and activated the fight-or-flight response due to the contradiction with that belief.

This intensity of belief could stem from hidden or unprocessed trauma, which is still not visible to the conscious mind but remains in the subconscious. I usually listen to bodily symptoms along with cognitive behavior and avoid reacting impulsively. I step back, journal the thoughts, and look for patterns and reasoning in daily activities. Sometimes the cause becomes visible, but other times I postpone it, knowing that unprocessed desires won’t just fade away they will eventually find a way to surface if pursued mindfully.

Keep an eye on physical symptoms and your cognitive behavior if something seems unusual, it might be a sign of hidden anxiety.

Hidden anxiety is often a blend of past pain and future fear… stored quietly in the nervous system.

Unresolved trauma may be seeking attention, don’t ignore it. It might be your younger self asking for help.