Whether it’s stressing about an upcoming deadline, date, or performance, most of us are all too familiar with the encroaching dread of anxiety.
In essence, anxiety is our body’s way of telling us to be alert and vigilant, but sometimes our limbic system can go a bit overboard. Anxiety originates in the amygdala, which is the brain’s emotional center, and was once a useful tool in the minds of our Paleolithic ancestors.
But that was hundreds of thousands of years ago. Nowadays, most of us aren’t particularly concerned about a saber-toothed tiger pouncing on us at our local supermarket. To help keep your brain in check, here are 5 tips to help clear your mind and keep your head on your shoulders — no matter what's going on around you.
1. Don’t Fight It
What you resist, persists. Sometimes the best solution to combating in-the-moment spats of anxiety is to simply accept the feeling. Just as you won’t always be happy or sad, you won’t always be able to completely rid yourself of feeling anxious, as it is a very natural and common feeling. In fact, attempting to quickly suppress it is what sometimes leads to panic attacks.
