Struggle to Get Rid of Anxiety and Despair

Psychology and the human brain are an ideal research area for me. The theme of a platform recently was "Move slowly". Slow motion tries to show how fast life is mentally tiring modern people, based on the fact that the brain can focus on one task at a time. As we rush around to adapt to the world where everything flows at an incredible pace, the stress level rises without realizing it. Increasing stress levels cause problems such as anxiety, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, burnout syndrome and chronic fatigue. Behind all of this lies an endless thought cycle in the mind. This negative thought cycle is called rumination.

Just as the endless chaos of modern life consumes you physically, rumination consumes your mind. Its conclusion is chronic anxiety. Often times, people see their chronic anxiety about rumination, which includes unlikely and exaggerated thoughts, as a sign of a problem with them. This leads to self-blame and reproach, and a struggle against anxiety that perpetuates rather than remedies it. In fact, anxiety is a natural part of life. Anxiety is the side effect of a skill that supports the survival and reproduction of the human species. Therefore, in this article, I will focus on understanding and managing anxiety rather than eliminating it to deal with it.

To understand anxiety, let's first look at these two basic laws that guide life. The first law governs our interactions with the physical environment we live in. This basic law of the outside world goes something like this: The more you try and act, the more likely you are to get what you want. Nothing is guaranteed, but you can increase your chances of getting what you want by putting your best effort into it.

This is the basic law governing our interaction with the outside world. But we don't live life according to this single law. There is a second fundamental law specific to our inner world, which consists of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. The law of the inner world goes something like this: The more you resist your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, the more you are exposed to. Because the law governing these things is the opposite of the rule governing the outside world.

Fortunately, we don't have to manage our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations the way you deal with the outside world. Because the act of constant effort and struggle, which is the law of the outer world, backfires in the inner world. Trying to apply the law of the outside world to the inner world leads to pursuing solutions doomed to failure and experiencing pain and frustration every time. This situation causes the peace and tranquility you are after while struggling with anxiety and despair to escape from you, and a solution can only be achieved by complying with the second law. But our basic instinct is usually to treat everything the same way, to oppose whatever we don't want, wherever it may be. Let's look at another rule that causes this instinct: the Rule of Contrasts.

The rule of contrasts is an important rule of thumb that applies to many symptoms of anxiety. Much of your instinct for how to deal with anxiety is to take its content seriously, to resist it, and to seek ways to avoid it. Viewing anxiety as a danger sign naturally leads you to treat it as if it is danger. For this reason, you need to find a different remedy for the uncomfortable and suspicious feelings caused by anxiety and hopelessness. The way to this remedy is to distinguish between what is in your brain and what is in the outside world.

When you get caught up in anxiety and despair, you think you need control over your brain, and a ruminative cycle of "Why" questions begins in your mind. But actually the purpose of the "Why" question is not to get an answer. The question of why is more of an expression of opposition, accusation, and an angry demand by a top authority to rectify this injustice. For this reason, the "Why" question is more of a complaint than a question.

This question makes people feel weaker and more pessimistic about the future, because it implies that others, perhaps God, must do something to solve the problem. It means putting out the responsibility for your own life and giving up your own power. Because if someone outside has to do something, you can wait as much as you want without worrying about anything.

Insisting on looking for a cause that causes anxiety and despair makes rumination (Negative thinking cycle) permanent. There is another method used when working with these.