Ever noticed how quickly your mind can jump from calm to panic?
Sometimes, it only takes two little words to send your thoughts spiralling.
It often begins quietly:
“What if I mess it up?”
“What if they don’t like it?”
“What if everything goes wrong?”
Those “what if” questions feel harmless, but they trigger your brain’s built-in alarm system. Suddenly you’re not solving problems — you’re scanning for danger, playing out every possible disaster in your head.
Here’s the good news: there’s a simple linguistic shift that can stop that spiral in its tracks.
It’s not breathing techniques or visualisations.
It’s something much smaller — but incredibly effective.
Try this instead:
Swap “what if” for “even if”.
“Even if I make a mistake, I’ll learn from it.”
“Even if someone doesn’t like my idea, I’ll still move forward.”
“Even if things don’t go as planned, I can handle it.”
That tiny change signals safety to your nervous system. It helps your brain refocus on what you can control, rather than what you fear.
Over time, this simple habit strengthens emotional resilience. It trains your mind to respond with calm and confidence instead of anxiety or avoidance.
At Courtin Mind Academy, we teach these kinds of practical, evidence-based tools in our workshops — helping individuals and teams turn stress into clarity, and uncertainty into action.
If your team could benefit from tools that promote calm thinking under pressure, explore our workplace wellbeing and mental resilience workshops here.