I often think about life the same way I think about a cross-country race. It’s not linear. It’s full of dips, unexpected turns, uneven footing, and moments where the path forward isn’t obvious. Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t the terrain — it’s what’s happening in your own mind while you’re trying to keep moving.
I grew up as a high-achieving student and competitive runner. From the outside, things looked strong: good grades, fast times, rising expectations. But internally, anxiety was building quickly. Running, which once felt freeing, started to feel more like pressure. School became harder to focus on. And like many young people, I became very good at hiding it — people-pleasing, avoiding discomfort, and convincing myself I was fine.
Eventually, that avoidance caught up with me. I spent time in therapeutic programs that, while difficult, forced me to confront something I had spent years running from: anxiety doesn’t need to be eliminated — it needs to be understood and worked with.
Through both lived experience and my background in neuroscience, I’ve come to see anxiety differently. Our brains are wired to seek certainty and immediate answers, especially under stress. But anxiety thrives in that urgency. It pushes us toward worst-case scenarios before we have all the information. It demands action when patience would serve us better.
One of the most impactful shifts for me — and something I now share with others — was learning to pause and separate facts from assumptions. When anxious thoughts arise, I ask myself: What do I actually know to be true right now? Often, the answer is far less catastrophic than what my mind is telling me. That gap between perception and reality is where we begin to regain control.
I’ve also learned that emotional energy is finite. When we spend it battling hypotheticals, we often arrive at reality already exhausted.
Justin Levine is the founder of Strive to Thrive Coaching, where he supports young adults navigating the transition from structured care environments to independent living. Drawing from his background in neuroscience and his own lived experience with anxiety and therapeutic programs, Justin integrates mind-body principles into his coaching approach. A former collegiate All-American runner and team captain at Bates College, he emphasizes the role of physical and mental resilience in personal growth. Justin spent five years working in residential treatment settings before launching his practice, where he now helps clients build sustainable tools for emotional regulation, confidence, and long-term well-being.
