Furthermore, the more you do them, the less tolerance you have to feeling even low levels of anxiety. Anxious actions also make it difficult for you to learn that you’re not in real danger, even when you think you are. For example, you can’t learn that people will not harshly criticize you for your preferences or opinions if you never share them with others. As you learn the skills in this book, you’ll find it easier to resist the pull of your anxious actions.

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