The Real Root of Anxiety: Is Inaction the Culprit?

I recently came across a striking idea that reframes the entire conversation around anxiety. It suggests that for many of us, anxiety isn’t a mysterious fog that descends without reason. Instead, it’s the direct result of a gap—the one between what our mind knows we should be doing and what we are actually doing.

It’s the friction caused by inaction.

The Tyranny of ‘Open Loops’

Think about it: anxiety is often not a vague fear of the future. It’s what happens when your mind gets stuck, replaying unfinished tasks, unresolved problems, and fears of change.

These unfinished items are often called “open loops.” When you fail to act on your goals, priorities, or the difficult conversations you need to have, those tasks don’t just disappear. They remain open in your mental background, like apps draining your phone’s battery. Your mind hates these open loops. It replays them endlessly, consuming your energy and focus until you either take action to close them or collapse under their weight.

This is compounded by the brain’s natural resistance to change. Uncertainty feels dangerous, so our minds often cling to what’s familiar, even if the familiar is a state of low-grade misery. This is why people stay in jobs they hate or relationships that no longer serve them. The mind tricks you into believing that the pain of staying put is “safer” than the unpredictable fear of trying something new.

Action: The Ultimate Antidote to Anxiety

This perspective reveals a liberating truth: if inaction is the source of this anxiety, then deliberate action is the cure.

• Action provides closure. Sending that email, making that phone call, or writing the first paragraph of that report closes the loop. The mental energy it was consuming is instantly freed up.
• Failure provides data; avoidance provides nothing. A finished attempt, even one that doesn’t succeed, is mentally lighter than an endless “what if?” Failure offers a lesson and a clear endpoint. Avoidance offers only a persistent, nagging hum of anxiety.
• Progress builds self-respect. Taking deliberate steps, no matter how small, is proof to your mind that you are capable. This self-respect fundamentally rewires how your brain perceives future challenges. The fear doesn’t vanish, but your belief in your ability to handle it grows.

Anxiety doesn’t thrive when you fail. It thrives when you avoid the possibility of failure altogether. Every small action chips away at its power, proving that you are in control.

A Crucial Caveat: When Action Isn’t Enough

Of course, this model doesn’t explain every form of anxiety. It would be irresponsible to suggest it does. Anxiety is a complex condition with deep roots that can be biological, genetic, or linked to severe trauma.

This framework doesn’t fully account for panic attacks, which can strike suddenly without a clear trigger. It also doesn’t capture the recursive nature of some anxiety disorders, where the problem becomes a “self-referential loop”—you become anxious about feeling anxious, creating a vicious cycle that action alone cannot always break.

Furthermore, suggesting inaction is the sole cause can feel dismissive to those whose anxiety stems from PTSD, abuse, or other profound life experiences. In these situations, the solution is not as simple as “just do something.” Healing requires professional support, compassion, and specialized therapeutic approaches. If you believe your anxiety stems from these deeper issues, seeking help from a qualified mental health professional is a sign of strength.

A Practical Framework for Everyday Anxiety

While the “inaction” theory isn’t a universal explanation, it is an incredibly useful lens for understanding the common, everyday anxiety that plagues so many of us. This is the anxiety born from procrastination, career indecision, and the avoidance of difficult but necessary life changes.

It’s the dread that comes from knowing you have a presentation to prepare but scrolling through your phone instead. It’s the stress that builds when you know you need to address a conflict with a loved one but keep putting it off.

For this common type of anxiety, the solution is both clear and empowering: take action.

Start where you are, with what you have. The courage to begin doesn’t have to be monumental. It can be as small as opening a document, lacing up your running shoes, or typing the first word of a difficult text message.

Anxiety cannot survive in a body that is in motion. Progress, however incremental, is its greatest enemy. By understanding this dynamic, you can stop seeing anxiety as an affliction and start seeing it as a signal—a call to action.