Block Out the Noise: Anxiety Doesn't Get to Define You

Jessica Davis - Counselor & Mindset Coach for Anxiety
  • 4.5 (6)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

You can look like you have it all together and still feel trapped by anxiety. Maybe you replay conversations long after they're over. You overthink decisions that should feel simple. You worry about disappointing people, making the wrong choice, failing, or being judged. You want to move forward, but anxiety keeps convincing you to wait, avoid, second-guess yourself, or stay where it feels safe. After a while, anxiety doesn't just make you worry. It can make you stop trusting yourself. Block Out the Noise: Anxiety Doesn't Define You is for anyone who experiences anxiety and is tired of feeling controlled by it. Hosted by licensed therapist Jessica Davis, the podcast helps you better understand what is happening underneath your anxiety while challenging you to do something with that understanding. Through honest conversations, relatable stories, practical tools, and lessons drawn from years of working in mental health, Jessica helps you recognize the patterns keeping you stuck and start building the confidence to move forward. Because confidence isn't something you have to wait to feel. Confidence is built by doing. This podcast isn't about promising that anxiety will disappear. It's about learning that anxiety doesn't define you, and it doesn't have to prevent you from living. We'll talk about overthinking, self-doubt, people-pleasing, perfectionism, avoidance, relationships, boundaries, fear of failure, reassurance-seeking, confidence and self-trust, and what it really looks like to step outside your comfort zone when every part of you wants to stay where it feels safe. Most importantly, we'll talk about how to engage with your life again.  How to try even when you're afraid.  How to make decisions without needing everyone else's approval.  How to set boundaries without losing yourself.  How to make mistakes, learn from them, and keep moving forward.  How to recognize that you are far more capable than you give yourself credit for. You need to discover what can happen when fear stops preventing you from living. 🎧 New episodes every Monday. ✨ Until next time, keep moving forward, trust yourself, and never forget you have what it takes to block out the noise.

  1. 6d ago ·  Video

    83 | The Test Came Back Normal but I’m Still Terrified

    Why does one sensation take over?Why does checking never feel like enough?What if reassurance is keeping fear alive?In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down the health anxiety loop that happens when a body sensation shows up and your mind immediately asks, “Is this anxiety or is something wrong with me?” Even when you have been checked, reassured, or told you are okay, the sensation still feels real in the moment, which pulls you back into checking, searching, and asking for reassurance. Jessica explains how health anxiety gets learned, why fear makes body sensations feel louder, and how checking teaches your brain that safety has to be checked. You’ll learn the difference between getting appropriate medical care and feeding the reassurance loop, plus two small ways to respond when familiar, previously assessed sensations show up again. What You’ll Learn in this Episode: Why health anxiety makes body sensations feel urgentHow checking keeps the fear loop aliveWhy reassurance helps briefly but does not lastHow health anxiety shrinks your life over timeWhy pausing before checking helps create a gapHow to ask for support without asking for certainty 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! JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety! 📱 Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Threads  🎙️ 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. Links:  Anxiety Survival Toolkit: https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/ Newsletter: https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome Davis-Smith Mental Health: https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/ ⚠️ 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 men...

  2. Sep 21

    82 | Overthinking Isn't Preparation. It's Hiding.

    Are you preparing or avoiding?What are you waiting to feel ready for?What if overthinking is fear with a to-do list?In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down how overthinking can look like preparation when it is really fear keeping you stuck. If you keep researching, planning, tweaking, comparing, and waiting for the perfect moment, this episode will help you ask whether you are being thorough or avoiding the thing that scares you. Jessica explains why perfectionism makes every option feel unsafe, why planning can become an escape, and why waiting for readiness can keep you stagnant. You’ll learn how to define “thorough enough,” get real feedback, stop hiding in private preparation, and take action before anxiety convinces you to wait longer. What You’ll Learn in this Episode: Why overthinking can feel productive but keep you stuckHow perfectionism makes “good enough” feel unsafeHow to tell when being thorough turns into avoidanceWhy planning can become a way to hide from actionHow feedback helps more than private overthinkingWhy ready is a decision, not a feelingGot 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! JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety! 📱 Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Threads  🎙️ 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. Links:  Anxiety Survival Toolkit: https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/ Newsletter: https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome Davis-Smith Mental Health: https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/ ⚠️ 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 men...

  3. Sep 14

    81 | You’re Not Afraid of Anxiety. You’re Afraid of This.

    Why does anxiety feel so hard to let go of?What if worry feels safer than calm?Who would you be without anxiety?In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down why anxiety can start to feel like a toxic friend you never chose but somehow learned to live with. Anxiety can show up in every part of life, from job interviews and relationships to late-night overthinking, and then convince you it is keeping you safe. Jessica explains why anxiety starts to feel necessary, how avoidance slowly shrinks your choices, and why fear can make calm feel unfamiliar. You’ll learn how anxiety gets built over time, why pushing through is not always the right answer, and how making the fear smaller helps your brain collect evidence that you can handle more than anxiety said you could. What You’ll Learn in this Episode: Why anxiety can start to feel like a toxic friendHow worry tricks your brain into feeling protectedWhy avoidance makes your world smaller over timeWhy calm can feel scary when anxiety feels familiarHow anxiety builds when too many stressors stack upHow small steps help you stop feeding the fear story 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! JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety! 📱 Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Threads  🎙️ 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. Links:  Anxiety Survival Toolkit: https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/ Newsletter: https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome Davis-Smith Mental Health: https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/ ⚠️ 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 men...

  4. Sep 7

    80 | Why Positive Thinking Can Make Anxiety Worse

    Why does positive thinking feel fake?Why does gratitude sometimes make anxiety worse?What if neutral is the better place to start?In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down why positive thinking can backfire when anxiety, self-doubt, or low self-worth are already loud. If you have tried affirmations, gratitude lists, or telling yourself to “just think positive” and felt worse instead of better, this episode explains why. Jessica explains the difference between noticing what is true and forcing yourself to feel something you do not believe yet. You’ll learn why your brain argues with big positive statements, how anxiety deletes good moments before they can land, and how one simple question can help you practice honesty without pretending everything is fine. What You’ll Learn in this Episode: Why forced positivity can make anxiety worseHow gratitude turns into pressure when you expect it to fix your moodWhy believable thoughts work better than big affirmationsHow neutral thinking gives anxiety less controlWhy good moments can sit beside hard feelingsHow to use one true thing as a daily practice 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! JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety! 📱 Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Threads  🎙️ 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. Links:  Anxiety Survival Toolkit: https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/ Newsletter: https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome Davis-Smith Mental Health: https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/ ⚠️ 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 men...

  5. Aug 31

    79 | Why You Feel Like a Different Person Around Different People

    Why do you change in every room?What if “being yourself” feels confusing?What if anxiety is making you mask?In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down why you might feel like a different person around different people. If your voice changes, you laugh at the right moment instead of the real one, agree before you think, or replay everything later in the car, you may be masking. Jessica explains what masking really means, when adjusting yourself is normal, and when it starts costing you your voice. You’ll learn how anxiety turns your attention inward, why you may feel like you are watching yourself from the outside, and how post-event overthinking can make being yourself feel harder at first. This episode helps you start finding small moments where you feel like yourself again. What You’ll Learn in this Episode: Why masking does not mean you are fakeHow to tell when adjusting yourself becomes costlyWhy anxiety makes you watch yourself from the outsideHow masking can make it harder to know what you wantWhy different versions of you can feel exhaustingHow one small practice helps you collect proof of who you are 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! JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety! 📱 Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Threads  🎙️ 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. Links:  Anxiety Survival Toolkit: https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/ Newsletter: https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome Davis-Smith Mental Health: https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/ ⚠️ 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 men...

  6. Aug 24

    78 | Doesn't Everyone Have Anxiety Now?

    Does everyone have anxiety?What does anxiety mean now?How do you know when worry needs support?In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down the difference between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is a word people use everywhere now, from social media to school to everyday conversations, but that does not mean every anxious feeling is the same thing. Jessica explains how everyday worry differs from clinical anxiety, why the word "anxiety" has become more common, and why younger generations are hearing about it more than ever. This episode helps you understand the signs that anxiety might need support without getting stuck in labels, comparison, or wondering whether your struggle “counts.” What You’ll Learn in this Episode: Why feeling anxious is different from having anxietyHow worry shows up in your body, sleep, and focusWhy anxiety becomes serious when it starts costing you somethingHow phones, social media, parenting, and avoidance shape anxiety patternsWhy wondering "Does mine count?” may be anxiety talkingWhy you do not need a diagnosis to deserve support 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! JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety! 📱 Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Threads  🎙️ 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. Links:  Anxiety Survival Toolkit: https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/ Newsletter: https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome Davis-Smith Mental Health: https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/ ⚠️ 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 men...

  7. Aug 17

    77| You’re Not Lazy. You’re Afraid to Find Out.

    Why do you keep avoiding it?What if you are not lazy?What if starting feels too risky?In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down why what looks like laziness may actually be fear of failure. When something matters to you, starting can feel scary because trying means you might find out whether it works, whether you are good enough, or whether the dream is possible. Jessica explains how fear hides behind procrastination, planning, scrolling, avoidance, and shame. You’ll learn why not trying does not protect you from failure, why motivation comes after movement, and how to make the task small enough that it cannot prove anything about your worth. What You’ll Learn in this Episode: Why avoidance can look like lazinessHow fear of failure keeps you from startingWhy not trying becomes its own outcomeHow shame makes the next step harderWhy naming the exact task makes it smallerHow one small start builds new evidence about who you are 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! JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety! 📱 Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Threads  🎙️ 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. Links:  Anxiety Survival Toolkit: https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/ Newsletter: https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome Davis-Smith Mental Health: https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/ ⚠️ 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 men...

  8. Aug 10

    76 | 8 Oddly Specific Things Anxiety Makes You Think

    Why does a short text feel personal?Why do old mistakes still haunt you?What if the thought feels true, but is not true?In this episode, Jessica Davis breaks down eight oddly specific thoughts anxiety puts in your head. Not the obvious signs of anxiety, but the private thoughts people often feel too embarrassed to say out loud. The ones that make you replay old memories, assume people are upset, feel like a burden, or question who you are. Jessica explains why anxiety makes these thoughts feel urgent and true, even when they are not facts. You’ll learn how anxiety turns your own thoughts into threats, why fighting the thoughts often makes them louder, and how small reset tools help you interrupt the spiral before it takes over. What You’ll Learn in this Episode: Why anxiety makes small moments feel personalHow old memories turn into shame spiralsWhy good moments can feel unsafeHow anxiety convinces you that you are a burdenWhy intrusive thoughts are not proof of who you areHow to interrupt anxious thoughts without arguing with them 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! JOIN our NEWSLETTER! Get weekly emails about upcoming podcasts, but also how to fight against anxiety! 📱 Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Threads  🎙️ 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. Links:  Anxiety Survival Toolkit: https://www.blockoutthenoisepodcast.com/anxiety-survival-toolkit/ Newsletter: https://blockoutthenoisepodcast.substack.com/welcome Davis-Smith Mental Health: https://www.davis-smithmentalhealth.com/ ⚠️ 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 men...

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You can look like you have it all together and still feel trapped by anxiety. Maybe you replay conversations long after they're over. You overthink decisions that should feel simple. You worry about disappointing people, making the wrong choice, failing, or being judged. You want to move forward, but anxiety keeps convincing you to wait, avoid, second-guess yourself, or stay where it feels safe. After a while, anxiety doesn't just make you worry. It can make you stop trusting yourself. Block Out the Noise: Anxiety Doesn't Define You is for anyone who experiences anxiety and is tired of feeling controlled by it. Hosted by licensed therapist Jessica Davis, the podcast helps you better understand what is happening underneath your anxiety while challenging you to do something with that understanding. Through honest conversations, relatable stories, practical tools, and lessons drawn from years of working in mental health, Jessica helps you recognize the patterns keeping you stuck and start building the confidence to move forward. Because confidence isn't something you have to wait to feel. Confidence is built by doing. This podcast isn't about promising that anxiety will disappear. It's about learning that anxiety doesn't define you, and it doesn't have to prevent you from living. We'll talk about overthinking, self-doubt, people-pleasing, perfectionism, avoidance, relationships, boundaries, fear of failure, reassurance-seeking, confidence and self-trust, and what it really looks like to step outside your comfort zone when every part of you wants to stay where it feels safe. Most importantly, we'll talk about how to engage with your life again.  How to try even when you're afraid.  How to make decisions without needing everyone else's approval.  How to set boundaries without losing yourself.  How to make mistakes, learn from them, and keep moving forward.  How to recognize that you are far more capable than you give yourself credit for. You need to discover what can happen when fear stops preventing you from living. 🎧 New episodes every Monday. ✨ Until next time, keep moving forward, trust yourself, and never forget you have what it takes to block out the noise.

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