The Grip of Fear: What Anxiety Does to You – and How to Break Free

By Kirsten Stendevad, author, keynote speaker, and leadership developer

It’s summer. You’re lying in a deck chair thinking you’re finally going to relax. But then you check the news on your phone, and there it is again: war, climate catastrophe, economic uncertainty, political chaos. Future anxiety creeps under your skin, and suddenly you can’t relax after all.

You’re not alone. We live in a time when fear has become a global currency. As propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels once said: “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it” – and today, fear’s messages are repeated across all channels, constantly.

But the worst thing about fear is not what happens around you. The worst thing is what it does inside you. That’s why you should read this article about the neurobiology of fear – and how you can free yourself from the chains of anxiety in just 30 days.

Fear’s Neurobiological Destruction

When you’re afraid, your primitive brain system takes over. The amygdala – the brain’s alarm bell – is activated, while the prefrontal cortex, responsible for critical thinking, creativity, and empathy, is deprioritized. Your body is flooded with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

The worst part is that chronic fear actually changes the structure of the brain. The amygdala grows, while the hippocampus (memory and learning) and prefrontal cortex shrink. You literally become less intelligent and less empathetic when you live in fear.

Science shows clearly: When fear dominates, the prefrontal cortex does not function optimally, which affects our ability for complex problem-solving, creative thinking, and ethical judgment.

At home, fear creates a toxic spiral:

• Parents become overprotective and controlling

• Families isolate themselves from the outside world

• Children learn that the world is dangerous and develop anxiety themselves

• Trust between family members erodes due to constant worry

• Decisions are made based on “what if the worst happens?”

At work, fear kills innovation:

• Employees chase safety instead of fresh thinking

• Creativity dies from fear of failure

• Collaboration is replaced by turf wars

• Leaders govern through control instead of inspiration

• Decisions are postponed or made defensively

At the societal level, fearful populations accept things they normally never would:

• Increased surveillance “for safety’s sake”

• Xenophobia and nationalism flourish

• Democratic rights are given up for a sense of protection

• Politics is driven by fear rather than vision

• Innovation stagnates – only “safe” solutions are accepted

The Opposite: When People Are Not Afraid

The difference is fundamental. Without chronic fear, the prefrontal cortex can function optimally and create neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to form new connections.

At home, the absence of fear creates:

• Parents who give children freedom to explore

• Openness to new experiences and people

• Conflicts resolved through dialogue and understanding

• Decisions based on dreams and opportunities

At work, this fosters:

• Innovation and creativity

• Courage to take risks and experiment

• Natural collaboration and knowledge-sharing

• Leadership through inspiration rather than control

In society, this leads to:

• Investment in opportunities rather than protection

• Openness to the unfamiliar, which drives growth

• Stronger democracy through active participation

• Politics driven by visions for the future

The Way Out of Fear’s Prison

Here’s the good news: You can break free from fear’s grip. In my leadership programs, for example, I use brain training, which is scientifically documented to expand brain capacity by up to 25% and take 10 years off your biological age.

But the real breakthrough happens when we combine brain training with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR therapy has over 30 randomized controlled trials documenting its effectiveness, and research shows that EMDR can treat many forms of anxiety, including phobias, social anxiety, and panic attacks.

With the right combination of techniques, you can break free from fear in 30 days with just 10 minutes a day and 4–6 sessions with a qualified therapist. There are also many other effective methods such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and breathwork.

The Most Important Decision of Your Life

Here’s the point: There is plenty to be afraid of in the world. But what you should fear most is fear itself – and what it does to you.

Fear makes you less intelligent, less creative, less empathetic, and less able to make good decisions. It isolates you from other people and makes you live a smaller life than you deserve.

So you have a choice: You can continue letting fear control your life, or you can make a conscious decision to heal your anxiety – so you can make decisions with the full capacity of both your brain and your heart.

Grundtvig’s dream of “great human beings” begins with becoming free from the chains of fear. People great enough to choose trust over distrust, love over fear, and courage over anxiety.

Your freedom is waiting. The only question is: When will you begin your journey toward it?