Believe it or not it is impossible to completely rid ourselves of all anxiety. It truly is part of the human experience. I’m not sure about you, but when a cougar is near by or I’m about to endanger myself in some way, I want my anxiety to speak up and get my brain and body to react as quickly as possible to keep me safe! After all, that is the true purpose of worry and anxiety in our lives — to keep us safe.

However, for all sorts of different reasons, worry and anxiety can begin moving far from this protective, healthy reaction to more intense, negative and self-limiting experiences that can begin to overshadow most, if not all, of your daily activities. You may have:

• Learned from your parents that the world is not safe, to avoid discomfort at all costs in favor of safety and now shy away from all forms of discomfort and uncertainty

• A very active, creative mind that tends toward over-thinking and may lack the skills needed to challenge worry thoughts and effectively calm your body

• Very real challenges from intense life experiences and transitions like midlife which are causing a spike in uncertainty

• At some point in your life, experienced trauma which has altered the way you see yourself and the world, making it feel difficult to feel safe or at peace.

In an effort to manage, you may even be turning to harmful things like self-harm, avoidance, disordered eating, or using substances in an attempt to dial down the worry and restlessness you feel.