WOMAN CALLS OUT RELATABLE FEELING THAT MAKES NO SENSE AS AN ADULT

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The holistic healer sparked a viral conversation on adult anxiety, trauma, and breaking free from the fear of mistakes.

Caoimhe Gibney, a holistic practitioner living in Sydney, Australia, has sparked conversation online after reflecting on a universal yet perplexing adult experience: the lingering fear of being reprimanded.

Gibney had taken to TikTok on December 11, under the handle @themindfulphysio, quickly resonating with viewers on the platform who could relate to the anxiety she once felt of making small mistakes or facing undue criticism.

"Do you feel like you are going to get told off if you do the wrong thing?" Gibney asked her followers. "As a grown adult, no one is coming to give out to you.

"We can have a constructive conversation as two adults who are emotionally mature," she added.

Gibney shared that she, too, once felt this panic physically, describing "that pit in your stomach when you feel like you are about to be in trouble."

"The inspiration for this video came from my work with clients who live in a constant state of fear—fear of making mistakes, disappointing others, or failing in some way," Gibney, 28, told Newsweek.

She said that adults should be able to communicate differences constructively rather than reverting to a dynamic that infantilizes one party. At the heart of Gibney's reflections is her work as a holistic practitioner.

"I have been working in holistic medicine for six years, with a background in physiotherapy, trauma-sensitive yoga, breathwork, somatics, and energetics," she said.

Gibney's practice has exposed her to clients grappling with persistent fear and anxiety—feelings often rooted in childhood trauma or societal expectations. Gibney guides clients to recognize and release these fears.

"I help people heal through the body, shift nervous system states, and embrace the universal right to be treated with respect and dignity," she said.

Gibney also advocates for reframing mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than triggers for shame.

Her video has since sparked discussion in the comments, highlighting how mental conditioning from past experiences and beliefs shape adult behaviors. The responses to Gibney's video underscore the broad impact of these anxieties.

Many viewers expressed their struggles, resonating with her observation about the "nervous system activation and low self-esteem" that often accompany these fears.

One viewer posted: "Is there people who are not afraid of getting in trouble or getting told off?"

"I was in a group meeting yesterday and was asked to stay behind as two managers had to speak to me. I spent the whole meeting creating scenarios in my head. Building a defense. Even considering to quit," another added.

"Girl. My heart stops when work phones," a third viewer wrote.

Gibney said she hopes that her digital message will encourage others to approach life with self-compassion.

"When we are adhering to the law and respecting others, does it really matter if we make a small mistake—like sitting in the wrong seat or making an easily fixable error at work," she said.

"What if we did not have to live in fear of someone scolding us like we are children?"

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