What if???

Hey college students, what’s up it’s me Seth Perler

A lot of students struggle with anxiety and it can be a really debilitating thing. It’s often invisible and people around you might not even know you’re dealing with it. Sometimes you don’t even realize it yourself. You just feel like life is constantly stressful, overwhelming, and heavy.

So I want to talk about one specific idea that can help if you’re dealing with anxiety. There are many tools for anxiety, but this is just one simple way to understand it.

My name is Seth Perler, I’m an executive function coach in Colorado, and I help students navigate education so they can build the life they want and actually reach their goals.

Anxiety can really interfere with your life. It doesn’t just disappear on its own, but it is something you can work with because it’s connected to your nervous system.

Some people feel anxiety all day, every day. Others feel it in spikes a few times a week, a few times a month, or only in certain situations. There’s a whole range.

And anxiety can sometimes be useful. It can be a signal that something needs your attention.

But here’s the main idea I want to give you:

Anxiety almost always comes down to one thing — a “what if” question.

What if I fail
What if they judge me
What if I’m not good enough
What if something goes wrong
What if I lose everything
What if I succeed and then can’t handle it

Your mind is constantly running “what if” scenarios.

Some “what ifs” are actually helpful. For example, if you’re walking and a dog runs toward you, your brain says “what if that dog attacks me” and your body immediately prepares to protect you. That’s your amygdala triggering a fight or flight response. That’s useful anxiety.

But the problem is when that same system gets activated for things like tests, social situations, or everyday stress.

Your brain treats those situations like danger, even when they’re not.

So you start looping “what if” thoughts, and your body goes into stress mode. That makes it harder to think clearly, perform well, or access what you already know.

So here’s the practical tool:

Start noticing your “what if” thoughts.

When you feel anxious, ask yourself:
What is the “what if” my mind is running right now?

Write it down if you can. Journal it. Or just notice it.

Then the next step is important:

Start practicing different “what ifs.”

Instead of only:
What if I fail
Try also:
What if I do better than I expected
What if I’m more prepared than I think
What if it actually goes okay
What if I can recover even if it doesn’t go perfectly

This is not about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about giving your brain more than one possible outcome.

Right now, anxiety often traps you in only negative predictions. This practice opens that up.

And yes, your brain might resist this. It might say “this won’t work for me” or “I’m different.” That’s normal.

But a big part of anxiety work is learning that thoughts are not facts, and they can be changed over time through practice.

You are not stuck with one way of thinking.

Your brain is flexible, and you can train it to explore different possibilities instead of only worst-case scenarios.

So if you take one thing from this, let it be this:

Notice your “what if” thoughts, and start gently replacing some of them with more balanced or positive possibilities. Have a great day and I’ll see you soon.