HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH
Lately, more and more of my clients are talking about AI, not with curiosity, but with anxiety.
It’s not just fear of losing a job or keeping up with technology. It’s deeper. Existential. AI seems to tap into something primal: our discomfort with change, uncertainty, and not knowing what comes next.
As a psychologist, I see AI anxiety as a modern version of an ancient struggle, how to stay human in a world that’s evolving faster than our nervous systems can process.
Anxiety is wired into us to keep us safe. It says, “Pay attention, something might be at risk.” With AI, that “something” often feels like our identity, our worth, or our connection to others.
For people with OCD or high-functioning anxiety, AI becomes the perfect storm, an unpredictable, fast-moving force that makes the mind search for control or certainty that doesn’t exist.
So what do we do?
We come back to what’s real.
To our values.
To what makes us human.
We name the fear. We feel it. And then we decide how we want to show up anyway.
AI is changing things. But it can’t replace presence, intuition, or the healing power of being truly seen. That’s where we still matter.
🧠 How I Help Clients Navigate AI Anxiety
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but here are some of the core tools I use in therapy:
1. Name the Fear
Vague fears create more panic. We slow down and ask:
“What exactly are you afraid will happen?”
Often, it’s not the technology itself—it’s the fear of losing purpose, safety, or meaning.
2. Build Tolerance for Uncertainty
I use evidence-based tools like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) to help clients coexist with doubt instead of trying to erase it.
“I don’t know what’s coming. But I know what matters to me.”
3. Grounded in Values
When the future feels unstable, I help clients come back to what they can control:
How do they show up in their relationships
How do they engage with their work
How do they stay connected to their integrity
4. Limit Tech Overload
Endless scrolling, researching, and consuming AI headlines fuel anxiety. We set realistic tech boundaries and build in more embodied practices, movement, rest, and actual human connection.
5. Reconnect to What’s Human
Empathy. Intuition. Creativity. Real-time presence. AI can’t replicate these, and they’re what anchor us when the world feels unsteady.
Final Thoughts
AI is evolving fast. But our nervous systems haven’t changed; we still crave safety, meaning, and connection.
We don’t need to outrun AI. We need to stay rooted in what makes us human. As one of my fav psychologists, Ali Mattu likes to say, "The future belongs to those most human."
Holly Batchelder, PhD