What scared you this week?
Stopping and thinking about that question can reveal moments that we didn’t fully process an experienced ‘tiny trauma’.
Beneath the surface of everyday life there is a delicate dance between comfort and vulnerability. Fear, feeling scared, and residual anxiety.
For today’s topic, we’ll uncover the science behind anxiety, practical strategies to navigate it, and how discussing your anxiety in a safe environment can improve your agency.
Understanding Anxiety: The Science
Anxiety is a universal experience. Ever talk to someone about anxiety, you describe it to them and they say “that’s not anxiety” because they defined or experienced it differently? Well, scientists have struggled to define anxiety because of this exact reason - it manifests uniquely in each of us. Here’s what we know:
Brain Circuits — Anxiety arises from intricate communication between our body and brain. Overactivation in certain brain regions contributes to anxiety disorders. The amygdala (the lizard brain!) reacts swiftly to perceived threats, often overreacting. Meanwhile, the cerebral cortex (the thinking brain!) analyzes situations more slowly and with greater depth.
Fear and Anxiety — Fear and anxiety share overlapping brain circuits. Fear is short experienced response to immediate danger, while anxiety lingers, anticipating potential threats. Now that you know the distinction, we can explore strategies to navigate anxiety.
Before we do that, call back to what you thought of when you read the prompt - what scared you this week? Was it a fear? Was it residual anxiety presenting you with false fears?
Whatever it was, there’s a good chance you didn’t fully process it and it remains as a tiny trauma.
Get an idea or two for this prompt before moving forward to the strategies…
Practical Strategies
Fears vs Facts — For this strategy, it’s what its name implies - you can either fill out a “fears vs. facts” dialogue table or do the exercise in your head for one topic. For multiple fears written down, create two columns on a paper. In the left column, jot down worries, fears, and distressing thoughts. In the right column, counterbalance them with evidence, logic, and perspective. This practice bridges the gap between the lizard brain and the thinking brain. If you’re contemplating this strategy without paper, think about the fear’s reality - what is actually happening that is far less threatening than what your lizard brain told you was happening?
Mindfulness — Ground yourself in the present moment. When anxiety surges, focus on your breath, senses, or surroundings. Mindfulness helps reduce symptoms and fosters resilience.
Group Discussions — Gather with close friends or with a shared experience support group. Share your fears openly. Vulnerability helps to strengthen human bonds. This allows discussing and sharing coping mechanisms, learning from others, and finding solace in shared experiences. (This is where Toward Wellth will provide programmatic support to explore these topics to increase your agency.)
Putting It into Practice
Imagine a group gathering at Toward Wellth.
Someone volunteers to share they have a fear of public speaking.
The group can together have a conversation about ‘fears vs facts’ - likely arriving that evidence supports most audiences being supportive of any public speaker, not judgmental (as would likely be listed in the fear column).
These types of fears vs facts sessions can start off with small groups and progress as confidence and trust are gained. The outputs of these discussions where they can be ‘anonymized’ will be shared out on forums like the TW resource page or this Substack.
Conclusion
In general, while it might take more effort to slow down and use your thinking brain, you can consciously turn fears and anxiety into understood situations which process into a healed state.
What’s your way to face fears? What still scares you? What topics do you think could be discussed in a ‘fears vs facts’ session?
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