Practice 04
Speak to it
That voice is not trying to ruin your life. It learned, years ago, that pausing and scanning was how you stayed loved, safe, or unseen. Speak to it as a child who is still working.
I see you. You are scared that this will happen, and you have been working so hard to keep me from getting hurt the way we got hurt before. Thank you. I am here now. I am older. I can survive a messy outcome. You can rest. I have got this.
Read it out loud if you can. The voice that overthinks is a child. Children settle when they are spoken to, not argued with.