PLAYING-IT-SAFE 103. Drop the Crutch: How "Safety Behaviors" Keep You Anxious
She was at every party. But she was never fully in the room.
Safety crutches, the subtle playing-it-safe moves that keep anxiety temporarily quiet, look nothing like avoidance. You're showing up. You're present. But you're also carrying a shield. And the shield is costing you every moment of real connection you're trying to build.
This episode is for anyone who has ever walked into a situation with a plan already in place to feel less exposed — and wondered why the situation still felt so far away.
In this episode, you will learn:
- What safety crutches actually are and why they look like coping but function like avoidance
- Why Paul Salkovskis's research on safety behaviors shows that the relief is borrowed — and what you're borrowing against
- What research on psychological flexibility reveals about why fighting anxiety makes it louder
- ACT skilsl for dropping subtle safety behaviors, one small moment at a time
- What your specific safety crutch is almost certainly protecting, and why that thing matters
Resources mentioned:
- Playing-It-Safe Questionnaire: https://www.thisisdoctorz.com/playing-it-safe-questionnaire/
About Dr. Z: Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona, Dr. Z., is a licensed psychologist, author of eight books, and TEDx speaker who has spent over 18 years helping overthinkers and overachievers stop letting anxiety make their decisions. She is the founder of East Bay Behavior Therapy Center in Walnut Creek, California, and the host of the Playing It Safe podcast. Her TEDx talk "Stop Playing It Safe and Start Living" has over 265,000 views.
If this episode helped you recognize one playing-it-safe move in your own life, a review on Apple Podcasts means everything to me. I read every single one.
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STOP LETTING ANXIETY MAKE YOUR DECISIONS
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3. PODCAST: https://www.thisisdoctorz.com/playing-it-safe-podcast/
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