For me, it's more about uncertainty plus stakes. I've always had this kind of fear of not having that strong friendship network. And so it comes out in these situations where you know, you do have the possibility of making friends and connecting with people. That really helped me actually at cocktail parties. It's not a fear, a deep down fear of this situation. It's a demonstration of something that I really, truly care about.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed or helpless in the face of anxiety? Like the more you try to manage it, the more out of control it becomes? Maybe it’s in social situations where you’re surrounded by new people or work situations where it’s so easy to start spinning about everything from how you’ll be perceived to what happens if you stumble. Or, maybe it's just about the state of your life, relationships, family, community, or even the world. If that’s you, you're not alone.
But, what if anxiety was actually just a particular type of energy that could be transformed into something akin to a superpower? This is the bold idea offered by my guest today, Professor Wendy Suzuki. Her latest book, Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion, explores how to use anxiety as a superpower. Wendy is passionate about helping people understand the phenomenon of anxiety and how to reframe it in order to lead a more fulfilling life and offers science-based strategies to help us turn the volume down on our anxiety responses.
You can find Dr. Wendy at: Website | Instagram
If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Jud Brewer about unwinding anxiety.
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