My therapist gave me one of the weirdest pieces of advice I’ve ever heard. We were talking about my anxiety—how I get overwhelmed by little things until I drive myself crazy. I was expecting her to suggest some deep breathing exercises, but instead, she said, “I want you to sit down at your kitchen table every morning, pour a second cup of coffee, and talk to it like it’s your anxiety.”

At first, I thought it was a joke, but I gave it a try. After a few mornings, something surprising happened. The anxiety that usually hit me like a freight train as soon as I woke up started feeling more like a curious neighbor tapping on my window. By the time I “spoke” to it at the table, it seemed to give me more space for the rest of the day. I left the apartment feeling like I had acknowledged it, in some strange way giving it permission to exist without letting it take over my life.