I’d say you are confusing critical thinking with anxiety. Critical thinking is a deliberate exercise that I choose to engage in, and I might be able to do for a certain period of time. I’d suggest that critical thinking is an investment of time and energy to really understand an issue, how it’s framed, how to re-frame it. At the highest levels, critical thinking will eventually lead to where you stand on an issue, and what scenarios change your standing.

But anxiety is something I don’t mean to engage in, and might not be able to stop. I’d agree it’s a disruption of critical thinking. It’s either a response to stress, or perhaps a force is pushing you to anxiety to break down your OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) and render you less effective on the field you’re playing in.