Anxiety isn’t necessarily a defect—it’s an ancient survival mechanism designed to protect us from danger. Thousands of years ago, the snap of a twig in the jungle might have signaled a predator, triggering an alarm that could save your life. Today, the danger we react to often isn’t happening at all—it’s something we’re anticipating, imagining, or worrying might happen. In this Self-Coaching episode, I explore the difference between instinctual protection and neurotic protection, how our attempts to feel safe can actually strengthen insecurity, and why the twig that once snapped in the jungle can now snap entirely in our minds.