10 Ways to Choose Joy Over Anxiety This Summer

Summer in Chicago brings some of the year’s most memorable experiences—Lollapalooza, neighborhood festivals, outdoor concerts, fireworks, sporting events, art fairs, food festivals, and farmers markets.

For many people, these events are exciting.

For others, they trigger a mental checklist of everything that could go wrong.

“What if I get stuck in the crowd?”

“What if I can’t find a bathroom?”

“What if I have a panic attack and can’t escape?”

“What if it’s too hot?”

“What if I lose my friends?”

“What if I feel trapped?”

“What if I have to use a porta-potty?”

If this sounds familiar, you’re far from alone.

At Light On Anxiety, we often see people who desperately want to participate in life’s meaningful moments—but anxiety convinces them it’s safer to stay home. Unfortunately, every event skipped teaches the brain the same lesson:

Avoidance works.

At least in the short term.

The problem? The more anxiety dictates your choices, the smaller your world becomes.

This summer, consider making a different goal.

Instead of trying to eliminate anxiety, practice making sure anxiety doesn’t eliminate your life.

Why Summer Events Can Feel So Anxiety-Producing

Large events combine many of the ingredients that anxious brains naturally dislike:

• Crowds
• Heat
• Noise
• Long lines
• Limited control
• Unpredictability
• New environments
• Limited exits
• Cell service issues
• Public bathrooms or porta-potties
• Feeling far from home
• Fear of embarrassment
• Physical sensations that can resemble panic (sweating, racing heart, dizziness)

For someone with panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD, health anxiety, emetophobia, agoraphobia, or generalized anxiety, this can feel like the perfect storm.

Ironically, these are also exactly the kinds of experiences that help retrain an anxious brain.

Anxiety Wants Certainty. Life Offers Participation.

One of anxiety’s biggest lies is:

“Once you know everything will be okay, then you can go enjoy yourself.”

Real life doesn’t work that way.

No one knows exactly how an event will unfold.

People who seem fearless simply accept uncertainty as part of living.

Instead of asking:

“How can I make sure nothing uncomfortable happens?”

Try asking:

“Can I build confidence that I’ll handle whatever happens?”

That’s a completely different question.

And one that actually has an answer.

10 Ways to Choose Joy Over Anxiety This Summer

1. Remember Your “Why”

Before worrying about the crowd, ask yourself:

What am I hoping to gain by going?

Maybe it’s:

• Hearing your favorite artist live
• Spending time with friends
• Creating family memories
• Trying new food
• Exploring Chicago
• Celebrating summer

When anxiety gets loud, reconnect with what matters more than comfort.

Values make excellent tour guides.

2. Don’t Wait Until You Feel Ready

One of the biggest myths about courage is that confident people feel fearless.

They don’t.

Confidence usually comes after doing something difficult—not before.

If you wait until anxiety disappears, you may wait forever.

3. Plan Without Trying to Eliminate Every Risk

Helpful planning looks like:

• Buying tickets ahead of time
• Wearing comfortable shoes
• Bringing water if allowed
• Knowing where you’ll meet your group
• Charging your phone

Unhelpful planning looks like:

• Spending six hours researching every possible emergency
• Mapping every exit
• Reading Reddit horror stories
• Canceling because the weather might change

Prepare enough.

Then allow uncertainty to do its job.

4. Practice Small Exposures Before the Big Event

If Lollapalooza feels overwhelming, build up gradually.

Try:

• A local farmers market
• A neighborhood street fest
• A busy Target
• A crowded coffee shop
• A summer concert in the park

Your brain learns through repetition—not reassurance.

5. Stop Measuring Success by How Calm You Feel

Many people leave an event disappointed because they were anxious.

But what if success wasn’t measured by comfort?

What if success was:

“I went.”

“I stayed.”

“I lived my life.”

Anxiety can come along for the ride without driving the car.

6. Let Your Body Feel What It Feels

Crowds are hot.

You’ll sweat.

Your heart rate may increase.

You’ll walk a lot.

You might feel butterflies.

Instead of constantly checking:

“Am I okay?”

Practice saying:

“This is my body doing body things.”

Not every uncomfortable sensation is a danger signal.

7. Resist the Urge to Build an Escape Plan Every Five Minutes

Many anxious people spend the entire event asking:

• Where’s the nearest exit?
• What if I leave now?
• What if I can’t get out?
• Should I stand near the edge?

Constant escape planning keeps your brain focused on danger instead of the experience.

Know the basics—and then return your attention to the music, your friends, or the moment you’re creating.

8. Accept That Porta-Potties Are Part of the Adventure

Yes.

They’re not glamorous.

They’re hot.

Sometimes they’re crowded.

Sometimes they smell.

They’re also temporary.

Many anxious brains interpret inconveniences as catastrophes.

Practice reminding yourself:

“I don’t have to love this to handle it.”

That’s resilience.

9. Stay Present Instead of Predicting

Anxiety loves asking:

“What if later…”

Joy lives in:

“What is happening right now?”

Notice:

• The music
• The laughter
• The skyline
• The lights
• The people dancing
• The food
• The conversations

Your life is happening in the present—not inside tomorrow’s predictions.

10. Celebrate Every Win

Did you stay 30 minutes longer than last year?

Use a crowded bathroom?

Take the train instead of driving?

Walk into the festival instead of turning around?

These aren’t “small” victories.

They’re evidence that you’re expanding your life.

Every time you choose participation over protection, you’re teaching your brain:

“I can do hard things.”

When Anxiety Shows Up, Try These Mantras

Instead of trying to convince yourself nothing bad could happen, practice thoughts that build confidence:

• “I’m willing to be uncomfortable to create meaningful memories.”
• “Anxiety is invited, but it doesn’t get to make today’s decisions.”
• “I can be nervous and still have fun.”
• “I don’t need certainty to participate.”
• “My goal isn’t perfect comfort—it’s a full life.”
• “This feeling is temporary.”
• “Discomfort is not danger.”
• “The only way out is through.”
• “Future me will be proud I came.”
• “I’m collecting memories, not avoiding them.”

Is Anxiety Making Your World Smaller?

Ask yourself:

Have you skipped or considered skipping any of the following because of anxiety?

☐ Concerts

☐ Festivals

☐ Sporting events

☐ Fireworks

☐ Traveling

☐ Restaurants

☐ Outdoor markets

☐ Family gatherings

☐ Weddings

☐ Vacations

☐ Public transportation

☐ Waiting in long lines

☐ Events because bathrooms felt uncertain

☐ Activities because you worried about panic

☐ Activities because crowds felt overwhelming

Scoring:

0–2: Anxiety occasionally influences your decisions, but it likely isn’t running your life.

3–5: Anxiety may be beginning to shrink your world. Consider intentionally practicing small steps outside your comfort zone.

6 or more: Anxiety may be making too many decisions for you. Evidence-based treatment—such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)—can help you reclaim experiences you’ve been missing.

Don’t Miss the Memories While Waiting to Feel Comfortable

One day, you probably won’t remember how crowded Lollapalooza was.

You’ll remember laughing with friends.

Hearing your favorite song live.

Watching the sunset over the Chicago skyline.

Trying amazing food.

Dancing when nobody cared how you looked.

Summer lasts only a few months each year.

Don’t let anxiety convince you that the safest life is also the most fulfilling one.

At Light On Anxiety, we believe the goal isn’t to eliminate fear before living.

It’s to build enough confidence in yourself that you can keep living—even when fear tags along.

Because the best memories are rarely made inside your comfort zone.