Four mindsets that help decrease anxiety

The body is going to create anxiety when we are focused on a problem that is unsolved. We have multiple options to choose from when looking at a problem. The options fall under four categories. These categories help us to look at a problem in a way that the mind doesn’t see it as a problem to be solved.

Fix
The first category is fixing the problem. If we have an unsolved problem and we come up with a solution in our mind about how we plan to fix it, we will feel better because we have a potential solution. This can mean writing a potential fix on a calendar for a later date, solving the problem now, or brainstorming about a solution.

Perspective
The second category is changing our perspective about the problem. We can make a problem larger or smaller based on how we look at it. If we tell ourselves that the problem isn’t going to matter in five years, it minimizes the problem and our anxiety decreases. If we center our mind on what is important in life and our problem isn’t an important thing, this anxiety decreases the anxiety.

Distraction
The third category is healthy distractions. Our body is only going to turn on the sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight) when our mind is thinking about the unsolved problem. If we take our mind off the problem and focus on something productive, our body will relax.

Acceptance
The fourth category is acceptance. If we accept a problem for what it is, it means that we are not trying to solve it. If we are not trying to solve it, our body will stay calm in response to it. We will still feel the pain of sadness, sorrow, and disappointment, but we will not be triggering the destructive powers of a prolonged sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight ) response.