What causes increased anxiety and frustration?

It’s like when you’re playing with your favorite toy, but someone keeps taking it away, anxiety and frustration happen because things aren’t going as expected.

Imagine you're building a tower with blocks. You’ve got everything just right, and then poof, the wind blows it all down. That’s like increased anxiety, your brain is saying, “Oh no! Everything is falling apart!” And if that happens over and over again, it feels like someone keeps making you start over every time, which makes you feel frustrated, just like when you can’t finish a puzzle because the pieces keep changing.

Sometimes your brain gets confused, like when you're trying to find your way home but there are too many turns. You know where you’re going, but it feels harder than it should be. That’s anxiety growing bigger in your head.

If you're trying to open a jar of jam, and the lid won’t budge no matter how hard you push, that's frustration. It's like your brain is shouting, “Why isn't this working?” And when it happens again and again, it feels even more annoying.