Coping in an anxiety making world

Does this sound like you?

For many people, anxiety comes from clinging to the illusion of control... People think that they can control what happens in their country and with other people. They search for ways to control their environment to ensure safety and curtail anxiety. But the tighter you cling to the idea of controlling uncontrollable events, the greater your anxiety—because you inevitably fail.

Dualistic thinking—black-or-white, all-or-nothing thinking—also fuels anxiety: America is either safe or it isn’t; the economy is either swelling or sinking. There are no shades of gray, even though, as Tsilimparis said, few absolutes exist in life.

People with elevated anxiety also hold certain rigid beliefs about how they should live their lives, known as adhering to a “consensus reality,” or one-way thinking, he said. For instance, you might believe that by the time you’re 28, you should be married and have children. Or you might define happiness as owning your own home or success as making a six-figure salary.

What also drives anxiety is perfectionism—“you either succeed at 100 percent or fail at 97 percent”— and relying on others’ approval... Looking for outside validation inevitably leaves people walking on eggshells and panicked over whether they’ve said the right thing or have done the right thing.

If so, consider reading this article, from which the quote comes, and which goes on to discuss ways to manage your anxiety in an ever-faster, ever-louder, ever-more connected world.

If you're into thinking about ways the modern world may be contributing to panic and anxiety and other mental health ailments, we've discussed this kind of thing a number of times in the past here on PANIC!

Painting: "Subway", George Tooker, via.