"What about tomorrow's test?"
Kaito was pacing restlessly.
"You prepared, right?" Sora asked.
"I did, but... what if I forget? What if the questions are hard? What if I run out of time?"
Leo said quietly, "A chain of anxiety."
"Chain?" Kaito asked.
"One worry generates the next. In psychology, we call it catastrophic thinking."
Sora supplemented. "Continuously imagining worst-case scenarios."
Kaito admitted. "That's exactly it. I keep thinking in worse directions."
Leo drew a diagram on the whiteboard. "Let's understand the brain mechanism."
"The brain?"
"Anxiety is generated in a part called the amygdala. It's an alarm system that detects danger."
Sora explained. "The amygdala predicts danger from past memories."
"So my amygdala is running wild?"
"You could say that," Leo nodded. "The amygdala can't distinguish between real and imaginary danger."
Kaito was surprised. "It can't distinguish?"
"That's why even in situations that aren't actually very dangerous, like a test, strong anxiety reactions occur."
Sora added. "It's an evolutionary remnant. In the past, being overly cautious helped survival."
Leo continued. "But in modern society, that response can become excessive."
"So what should I do?" Kaito asked.
"Activate the prefrontal cortex," Leo answered.
"Prefrontal cortex?"
"The part that governs rational thinking. It has the role of suppressing amygdala excitement."
Sora suggested a specific method. "For example, putting anxiety into words."
"Into words?"
"Say out loud 'I'm anxious about tomorrow's test.' Just that makes the prefrontal cortex start working."
Kaito tried it. "I'm anxious about tomorrow's test..."
"How is it?" Sora asked.
"I feel a bit calmer."
Leo explained. "By labeling emotions, you create distance from them."
"What else?" Kaito asked.
"Practice thinking realistically," Leo answered. "What's the actual probability of the worst happening?"
Kaito thought. "The probability of failing the test... I prepared, so probably low."
"And if you fail?"
"There's a makeup exam."
"And if you fail that too?"
"...Even then, I won't have to repeat the year."
Sora smiled. "See, even at worst, you can handle it."
Leo pointed out. "Catastrophic thinking, when logically examined, has almost no basis."
Kaito laughed a little. "True, I was overthinking."
"Another method," Leo continued. "Breathing techniques."
"Breathing?"
"Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system. It has the effect of calming amygdala excitement."
Sora demonstrated. "Breathe in slowly, breathe out slowly."
Kaito imitated. After several repetitions, his expression clearly softened.
"Really, I feel better."
Leo explained. "When you relax the body, the brain calms down too. Mind and body are connected."
Sora wrote in her notebook. "Ways to stop the anxiety spiral."
"1. Label emotions."
"2. Examine realistically."
"3. Regulate breathing."
Kaito read it. "I'll remember this."
Leo said finally, "Anxiety can't be completely eliminated. But it can be controlled."
"We learn how to live with anxiety," Sora said.
Kaito nodded. "Anxiety isn't an enemy, just a brain reaction."
"Correct," Leo acknowledged. "If you understand it, there's no need to fear it."
Sora added. "Anxiety is also a signal telling us we need to prepare."
Kaito stood up. "Okay, I'll review once more and sleep early."
"Good plan," Leo nodded.
The three started cleaning up. By knowing the mechanisms that amplify anxiety, they also gain the power to control it. The brain is complex, but understandable.
"Good luck tomorrow," Sora encouraged.
"Thanks. Somehow I feel it'll be okay."
Even within anxiety, there is hope. Believing that, they face tomorrow.