It seems to hold true that western society in particular is experiencing a significant amount of depression and anxiety. Whilst third world countries suffer with physical health problems, mental health appears to be the weak point in wealthier countries. It's easy to blame westerners for being entitled softies but the correlation between material security and increased anxiety is significant; I believe it signals an emergence from problem-solving at the survival level to problem-solving at the personal development level.
Let's start by defining anxiety as the anticipation of pain and suffering. Anxiety has three core aspects:
Thoughts
Emotions
Sensations
Most people who experience anxiety are very conscious of the emotional aspect and anxiety is often considered an exclusively emotional experience. However, under close observation it becomes apparent that the trigger for the emotional part of anxiety is preceding thoughts - ideas and beliefs that the near or distant future holds the promise of pain. We've all experienced this when we're told the boss wants to see us and we think we we're in trouble as we anticipate an unpleasant consequence. The thoughts, feelings and sensations we have leading up to that moment is anxiety.
Sometimes feeling anxious is valid; our expectation of future suffering is accurate and anxiety is the perfect preparation for handling a problem because it prepares our body to 'fight' or 'flee'. The biochemistry behind anxiety creates oxygenated muscles, a slowed-down digestive system (that sick feeling) and a hyper-vigilance to the environment which is useful for fighting or running, all at the expense of thinking logically which would slow-down our reaction times. Anxiety typically motivates us to avoid pain and suffering which, from an evolutionary point of view is highly adaptive. If we're walking through the woods and believe we notice a bear up ahead, avoiding the potential suffering is the best approach to take - skedaddle!
However, sometimes our anxiety is invalid because the problem doesn't exist, or the problem is being exaggerated and we overreact to the perceived threat. When this overreaction becomes regular and hard to control we have dysfunctional anxiety; this means the anxiety reduces our functioning rather than enhances it.
Typically, people hope for the perceived threat to diminish and in the meantime, metaphorically they hide in the bushes waiting for the imaginary bear to pass. However, when we use this method to respond to exaggerated unrealistic fears it has the effect of increasing our anxiety and, over time, reducing our skills for dealing with problems as we avoid them rather than face them and miss-out on the practice we require for handling difficult situations. Think of it like this: you can either hope the problem gets weaker or try to get stronger - most people opt for option one.
Those who are smart and courageous try the second option; they invest in becoming stronger so they have the capacity to handle more rather than hoping that life demands less. These people reap the rewards of improving themselves, they see life is an opportunity to learn more, be more and have more. There's no guarantee that you won't experience worry and anxiety, but people who face their fears are always the ones we admire the most.
If you can reframe the experience of anxiety (when there is no real threat) as a signal that you currently lack the skills to handle something, it can be the perfect invitation to growth. If I feel uncomfortable disagreeing with my boss, perhaps I need to learn some negotiation skills and book-in for a weekend workshop. If I regularly avoid thinking about money because it always makes me feel stressed, perhaps a serious visit to a financial advisor is in order and downloading some budgeting software would be the kindest thing I can do for myself.
For those of us in the relatively safe and luxurious west, anxiety is unlikely to be a true indication of impending physical harm, rather than an exaggeration of some more practical problem we are failing to solve. In this light, you can take the opportunity to combine anxiety with courage and self-care and transmute it into personal growth.
For more important articles that celebrate, educate and elevate, visit the website... https://valerie-ellis.com/blog/
By Valerie Ellis
Article Source: The Anxiety Opportunity
Let's start by defining anxiety as the anticipation of pain and suffering. Anxiety has three core aspects:
Thoughts
Emotions
Sensations
Most people who experience anxiety are very conscious of the emotional aspect and anxiety is often considered an exclusively emotional experience. However, under close observation it becomes apparent that the trigger for the emotional part of anxiety is preceding thoughts - ideas and beliefs that the near or distant future holds the promise of pain. We've all experienced this when we're told the boss wants to see us and we think we we're in trouble as we anticipate an unpleasant consequence. The thoughts, feelings and sensations we have leading up to that moment is anxiety.
Sometimes feeling anxious is valid; our expectation of future suffering is accurate and anxiety is the perfect preparation for handling a problem because it prepares our body to 'fight' or 'flee'. The biochemistry behind anxiety creates oxygenated muscles, a slowed-down digestive system (that sick feeling) and a hyper-vigilance to the environment which is useful for fighting or running, all at the expense of thinking logically which would slow-down our reaction times. Anxiety typically motivates us to avoid pain and suffering which, from an evolutionary point of view is highly adaptive. If we're walking through the woods and believe we notice a bear up ahead, avoiding the potential suffering is the best approach to take - skedaddle!
However, sometimes our anxiety is invalid because the problem doesn't exist, or the problem is being exaggerated and we overreact to the perceived threat. When this overreaction becomes regular and hard to control we have dysfunctional anxiety; this means the anxiety reduces our functioning rather than enhances it.
Typically, people hope for the perceived threat to diminish and in the meantime, metaphorically they hide in the bushes waiting for the imaginary bear to pass. However, when we use this method to respond to exaggerated unrealistic fears it has the effect of increasing our anxiety and, over time, reducing our skills for dealing with problems as we avoid them rather than face them and miss-out on the practice we require for handling difficult situations. Think of it like this: you can either hope the problem gets weaker or try to get stronger - most people opt for option one.
Those who are smart and courageous try the second option; they invest in becoming stronger so they have the capacity to handle more rather than hoping that life demands less. These people reap the rewards of improving themselves, they see life is an opportunity to learn more, be more and have more. There's no guarantee that you won't experience worry and anxiety, but people who face their fears are always the ones we admire the most.
If you can reframe the experience of anxiety (when there is no real threat) as a signal that you currently lack the skills to handle something, it can be the perfect invitation to growth. If I feel uncomfortable disagreeing with my boss, perhaps I need to learn some negotiation skills and book-in for a weekend workshop. If I regularly avoid thinking about money because it always makes me feel stressed, perhaps a serious visit to a financial advisor is in order and downloading some budgeting software would be the kindest thing I can do for myself.
For those of us in the relatively safe and luxurious west, anxiety is unlikely to be a true indication of impending physical harm, rather than an exaggeration of some more practical problem we are failing to solve. In this light, you can take the opportunity to combine anxiety with courage and self-care and transmute it into personal growth.
For more important articles that celebrate, educate and elevate, visit the website... https://valerie-ellis.com/blog/
By Valerie Ellis
Article Source: The Anxiety Opportunity
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