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Can You Make Your Anxiety Work for You?
Nov 5, 2024
Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscience and psychology professor at NYU and author of "Good Anxiety," shares insights on transforming anxiety into a positive force. She discusses practical strategies to harness anxiety, relating it to our evolutionary roots as a survival mechanism. Wendy emphasizes the power of techniques like box breathing and highlights how confronting social anxiety can enhance empathy and personal growth. Her personal journey illustrates how embracing fear can reveal hidden strengths, offering a fresh perspective on this misunderstood emotion.
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Quick takeaways
- Anxiety, while often overwhelming, evolved as a protective mechanism that can be harnessed for personal growth and insight.
- Engaging with anxiety allows individuals to uncover strengths and develop empathy, transforming discomfort into a source of valuable connection.
Deep dives
The Dual Nature of Anxiety
Anxiety serves both a protective and a problematic role in human life, having evolved to help us respond to threats. The physiological responses associated with anxiety, such as increased heart rate and heightened alertness, were crucial for survival, signaling the body to either fight or flee. However, in the modern world, constant sources of anxiety—the news, social media, and daily stressors—can overwhelm our nervous systems, making it challenging to manage these feelings. By understanding that anxiety has a protective core, individuals can learn to modulate their responses and harness the benefits of their anxious feelings instead of being consumed by them.
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