Open any newspaper, switch on any talk show on the radio this
weekend, and you will be spoilt for choice with anxiety-inducing
stories. Living in this time of global recession, rising
mortgage rates, political instability, it almost appears as if
the media encourages us to be anxious on a daily basis. Easy as
it is to respond with anxiety to these stories, it is in fact
the least productive response to have in life. It is like a
mental pain we inflict on ourselves, clouding our judgment and
reasoning, zapping us of the energy we need to move forward with
our lives and make sound decisions. Anxious thoughts activate
stress hormones that trigger the brain’s fight or flight
response. But this arousal is temporary, and when it abates, is
followed by exhaustion, apathy and even depression. Not everyone
is affected to the same degree by this tendency to react to
life’s events with anxiety. We all know people who fret at the
slightest thing, while others have the ability to remain calm
and composed in the face of cr