Last week, I applied for a volunteer trip in Israel with one of my best friends from 7th grade.
After the excitement wore off, the anxiety hit.
My brain went straight to:
- 😟 What if I have a diabetes emergency?
- 😟 What if my friend and I don’t get along, ruining our friendship forever?
- 😟 What if the beds are so uncomfortable that I don’t sleep a wink?
- 😟 What if my life is in danger?
- 😟 What if my flight gets delayed and I miss my cousin’s wedding the weekend after?
All of that from just hitting submit on the application.
Even after years of mindset work, I still catch myself spiraling into worst-case scenario thinking. Because the truth is — this is what human brains do. Especially when uncertainty is involved.
Let’s break it down.
Why Your Brain Goes to the Worst Case
Your brain’s #1 job is to keep you safe.
That means it’s constantly scanning for potential threats — not just physical danger, but emotional risk too. It’s an ancient survival system. Back in caveman times, it was safer to assume the rustling in the bushes was a tiger, not a bunny.
Your modern-day brain doesn’t always know the difference between real and imagined danger. So it treats a trip application the same way it might treat an approaching predator. It floods you with “what ifs” in an effort to prepare, protect, and control.
Uncertainty Triggers the Alarm System
New experiences — like international travel, managing T1D in a different environment, navigating group dynamics, or sleeping in unfamiliar beds — are full of uncertainty.
And the brain hates uncertainty. So it tries to fill in the blanks with worst-case scenarios.
It thinks:
“If I imagine everything that could go wrong, I’ll be ready.”
But all it really does is spike your anxiety and disconnect you from the joy of the present moment.
Worry Feels Like Control — But It’s Not
Worry gives us the illusion of control. It feels like we’re being proactive or responsible. But often, it just keeps us in a loop of fear.
It’s not actually solving problems — it’s just preparing for ones that may never happen.
We’re Trying to Avoid Disappointment
Sometimes, going to the worst-case scenario feels protective.
“If I expect the trip to be a disaster, I won’t be crushed if it is.”
It sounds logical… but the cost of that thinking is missing out on the good part. The fun. The excitement. The sense of possibility.
It robs us of hope in the name of “being realistic.”
The Power of “What If It’s Easy?”
After I told my coach and friend Michelle about all my worries, she gently said:
“What if the trip were just easy?”
My whole body relaxed.
It was as if that thought hadn’t even occurred to me.
And it made me realize something important:
I get to choose what kind of story I tell myself.
That moment reminded me how powerful it is to entertain a different possibility — one where things go well. Where things are simple. Where I’m safe and supported.
Since then, I’ve been practicing this new thought:
What if the trip is just easy?
What if it’s amazing?
What if it’s wonderful?
If You’re Caught in the Spiral…
If you find yourself stuck in worst-case scenario thinking, here’s what I want you to remember:
- Your brain is just trying to protect you.
- You might be seeking control, avoiding disappointment, or trying to prepare for the unknown.
- And none of that makes you weak or dramatic — it makes you human.
Sometimes, just naming what’s happening is enough to soften the spiral.
And then? You can offer yourself a different option:
What if this turns out okay?
What if it’s better than okay?
What if it’s… easy?
That thought is always available to you — even if you have to come back to it a hundred times. You’re allowed to imagine good outcomes, too.
So, if your brain feels stuck in a loop of worst-case thinking, I can help.
My 1:1 coaching is a space to unpack the mental load, calm your nervous system, and actually feel better. You don’t have to untangle it all alone.
Book a free consult call here — no pressure, just a conversation about what’s feeling hard and what support could look like.
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