Turn Anxiety into Opportunity with Learned Optimism

Michael faced his first big pitch as a project manager. He rehearsed endlessly but still felt that familiar pit in his stomach: “They’ll see I’m inexperienced and tank the whole deal.” His hands shook when he pressed ‘join’ on the video call. Instead of spiraling, he pulled up his notes and listed four successes he’d delivered—on time and under budget—earlier that quarter. He then reframed his fear as, “I’ve led similar projects to success; I can address their concerns.”

With that new mindset, he pressed mute, inhaled slowly, and hit unmute again. The opening lines came smoothly, and when a tough question landed, he held his ground by referencing his past wins. After the call ended, his boss told him it was one of the strongest presentations she’d seen from a newcomer.

This shift follows Martin Seligman’s learned optimism model: we dispute negative beliefs with evidence and replace them with realistic alternatives. Brain chemistry backs it up—challenging pessimistic automatic thoughts dampens the amygdala’s overdrive and lights up neural pathways tied to confidence. For Michael, that meant turning a panic-fueled script into a performance he controlled.

When panic creeps up, list your darkest fear about the situation, then counter it with hard evidence of past wins—reports, feedback or even pep talks from colleagues. Finally, rewrite that fear into a balanced, positive statement you can repeat before (and during) the moment of truth. Practice this one-two punch next time you feel your heart racing before a big challenge. You might be surprised how your amygdala calms down.