“Unwinding Anxiety” by Judson Brewer

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“The less you know, the more you say”
There is a spectrum between insufficient and excessive
Anxiety is born from overactive fear
Pre-Frontal Cortex (PFC) predicts the future based on information
When information is lacking PFC runs scenarios
Reflexes are immediate, learning is seconds to minutes, anxiety is months to years
Post adrenaline energy discharge is important to avoid PTSD
Break the cycle by
- Recognize the onset of anxiety
- Identify what it leads to
- Reflect on how you felt (without judgement or editorial)
The more you wear glasses, the more they alter your perspective and the more comfortable they are
All experiences can move us forward if we learn from them
We only service pleasure when paying attention
Habits without immediate rewards are difficult to make
Beating yourself up about the past is not learning
“Forgiveness is giving up on having a better past”
There is Interest and Depravation Curiosity
- Depravation is the stress of not knowing
- Interest is when you explore something new
Rewards Based Learning triggers the same brain parts as meeting bodily needs
“If someone dies, first take your own pulse.”
Lean into oncoming anxiety. There is no way to avoid it, so make the most of it. This is your experience, experience it.
Recognize, accept, investigate, note.
Focus on what triggered you not why you are triggered
Focus on “one day at a time”, it is less scary than next year

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