Arthur Brooks—Harvard professor and behavioral scientist—defines anxiety as a chronic, low-grade fear response that protected our hunter-gatherer ancestors but now often misfires in modern life. He offers strategies to reframe one’s anxiety.
- Regard your anxiety as “unfocused fear.”
- Endeavor to clarify and name your anxiety so that it is not a vague fear lingering in the background of your thoughts.
- Journal your anxiety. Write down your source of anxiety, then write what you believe is the . . .
- Worst possible outcome
- Best possible outcome
- Most probable outcome
Here’s how I used the process above to tame my anxiety:
Naming my anxiety: Trump administration’s actions toward creating an authoritarian government in the U.S.
My worst-case scenario: Chaos, violence, and a slide into permanent authoritarianism
My best-case scenario: Trump is forced to resign, without their leader the cult splinters, and MAGA is swept into the dustbin of history
My most likely scenario: The administration’s missteps and overreach continue to erode public support, and elections help restore balance.
Did my anxiety completely disappear after I completed the actions above? No, but having gone through those steps separated my worst fears from what I believe will actually happen. I am not now overwhelmed by the chaos and violence. And I know that I have a role in putting an end to it.
Watch Arthur Brooks’ video Stop Trying to “Let Go” of Anxiety. Do This Instead.
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