Tom Cruise told Hayley Atwell this Trick – How to stop running, stop hiding & face your fears

Most of the time, we don’t even know what we’re actually avoiding.

Hayley Atwell shared that when she struggled with social anxiety, Tom Cruise told her to identify what was causing it rather than pulling away. Instead of retreating, she was encouraged to turn toward it.

What he may have hinted at is that our instinct is to avoid discomfort, fear, doubt, and pain. But hiding keeps us stuck. Facing them – becoming aware of them – sets us free.

Start by looking outside for clues. What triggers our avoidant reaction?

The challenge? Most of the time, we don’t even know what we’re actually avoiding. It’s a vague, uneasy feeling. So we suppress it, numb it, or distract ourselves – trapping us in a loop of stuckness and shame.

To break free, we can start by looking outside for clues. What triggers our avoidant reaction? What makes us recoil? These external cues point us toward the unresolved issues within us, the parts of ourselves that need our attention.

Once we identify what’s really behind that troubling sensation, we can work with it. Integrate it. And with practice and awareness, what once had a grip on us loses its power.

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anxiety Breaking Free breaking the cycle Hayley Atwell self awareness Socialanxiety Tom Cruise