There’s a lot to be worried about these days. But you don’t have to psychoanalyze all that fear and negativity to feel better. A quick study of the biological basis of anxiety can help you feel better fast.
Two parts of the brain are critical to the production of anxiety: the cortex and the amygdala. The cortex deals with thoughts and images, whereas the amygdala uses information to activate your fight-or-flight response. Cortex-based anxiety happens when you dwell on potential problems and bad situations repeatedly.
The good news is that, with practice, you can rewire your brain. The first step is to recognize when the cortex is producing thoughts or images that may lead to anxiety. For next steps, our latest Instaread can help you Rewire Your Anxious Brain.