Ooh Anxiety, Kal Aana - Learning to Delay the Panic
- Oct 31
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 1
When Anxiety Knocks Too Early
There are days when your heart races even before the problem arrives. That little buzz in your chest, the spinning thoughts, the what-ifs. You haven’t even faced the situation yet, but your body has already sent an army of alarms.
And in those moments, I whisper to myself -“Ooh anxiety, kal aana.”
Like the movie Stree where they said, “O stree, kal aana,” - not out of fear, but as a clever way of taking back power. That’s exactly what this phrase does to anxiety. It turns panic into pause.
Why Delaying the Panic Actually Works
Psychologically, anxiety is your mind’s overprotective friend - one that means well, but tends to exaggerate danger. When you say “kal aana,” you’re not ignoring it; you’re creating psychological distance - a proven strategy in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Research from Stanford University on delayed gratification (remember the famous “marshmallow experiment”?) shows that people who learn to wait - instead of reacting immediately - develop better emotional regulation and higher resilience later in life.
Delaying anxiety is similar. You’re telling your mind:
“Let’s not panic right now. We’ll look at it later, with more clarity.”
This delay often breaks the cognitive loop that feeds anxiety. What felt like an emergency an hour ago suddenly looks manageable, even small.
The Science Behind “Kal Aana”
When anxiety hits, the amygdala — your brain’s fear center - takes over. It floods you with cortisol and adrenaline, preparing for fight or flight. By delaying your reaction, you activate your prefrontal cortex, the part that handles reasoning and logic.
It’s like shifting from “Oh no!” to “Let’s see.”
And that small pause - that kal aana - helps you step back into control. You move from panic to perspective.
For Desis Abroad (and at Home)
Whether you’re in Mumbai traffic or stuck on a highway in New Jersey, anxiety doesn’t ask for your pin code. It just shows up uninvited.
For desis abroad, the pressure often doubles - new culture, new pace, the loneliness of missing home, the guilt of doing “well but not well enough.”
In such moments, “Ooh anxiety, kal aana” becomes more than a line - it’s an act of self-compassion. It’s saying: I see you. I just don’t have to fix everything right now.
Try This Today
Next time anxiety knocks, do this simple SEVEE practice:
Acknowledge it. Say the words - “I know you’re here.”
Delay it. Tell yourself - “Ooh anxiety, kal aana.”
Shift focus. Do something small - breathe, stretch, sip water, or look at the sky.
Revisit it later. You’ll often find it has lost its weight.
You didn’t run away. You simply waited for truth to catch up.
Closing Thought
Anxiety isn’t your enemy. It’s a nervous friend who loves you a bit too much. So next time she visits, smile and say -
“Ooh anxiety, kal aana. I’m busy living today.”
At SEVEE Care, we believe in gentle psychology for desi hearts. Explore our Circle of Resilience sessions, designed to help you pause before panic — and find calm within chaos.
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