Research shows that anxiety is caused by your inability to tolerate uncertainty. In reponse you unconsciously try to regain control through overthinking, overplanning, overchecking, and overdoing. These are all attempts to create a false sense of certainty. But that just signals to your brain "we're not safe. Stay alert." The goal is to build your nervous system's capacity to feel safe in the unknown. This happens by thinking "I don't know what will happen, but I trust I'll be okay."