A couple of years ago, I tried out for the fire service.

Facing down the entry to a confined-space maze designed to test my response to claustrophobic conditions, I realised that I had spent far too much time focusing on my running speed and pull-up ability and nowhere near enough time practising the mental skills I would need to control my fear response and manage anxiety under stress.

I failed.

The good news is that you don’t need to be prepping to face down burning buildings to benefit from facing your fears or managing anxiety.