Through the Fog: How Anxiety Distorts Our Progress

Have you ever felt like nothing was changing — only to realize later that so much actually had?

That’s what anxiety does. It’s not that progress isn’t happening. It’s that your lens gets fogged. The nervous system floods with uncertainty, and even small pains feel huge. Even real shifts can look invisible when doubt takes over.

I see it often in clients: pain goes down, movement improves, fatigue lifts — yet the mind whispers, “But maybe this isn’t enough. Maybe it won’t last. Maybe I still need something stronger.” Anxiety makes progress look fragile, even when it’s real.

One client told me, “If only this one pain disappeared, I’d be happy.” The next session, that exact pain was gone — but their focus instantly jumped to the next ache. They couldn’t anchor into the gain, because their attention was conditioned to scan for the negative. Another client felt lighter right after session one, but when new areas surfaced as old compensations unraveled, she doubted whether I could “really” help her.

This is what I call distorted perception. Progress happens in the body, but the mind can’t see it because it’s measuring from anxiety.

Anxiety narrows your view to danger, not safety. Doubt shrinks recognition — even success feels like “not enough.” Progress becomes conditional: “I’ll only believe it when everything is perfect.”

But the truth is, the the body doesn’t work in perfection. It works in unfolding. Sometimes progress shows up clearly — less pain, more energy, deeper sleep. Sometimes it reorganizes quietly, moving tension from one place to another so the system can reset. Both are progress.

When I work with clients, my role isn’t to argue with their doubt. It’s to hold coherence long enough for their body and mind to catch up with what’s really shifting. To mirror back their own numbers, their own stories, so they can see what anxiety tries to hide.

And maybe this isn’t just about therapy. Think of your own life:

• You move forward at work, but notice only the one task undone.

• You’re more present at home, but judge yourself for the one slip.

• You feel lighter, but dismiss it because the “big breakthrough” hasn’t happened yet.

Progress is often real long before you trust it. The invitation is simple: can you let yourself notice what’s already shifted — without waiting for anxiety’s approval?

Progress isn’t always about what you feel in the moment. Sometimes it’s about trusting the deeper current that’s already moving you.

Need to feel in Harmony with yourself again? Start here.