There's no denying that I've been stressed out more and more recently. For example, at a close friend's engagement party last week, I felt my face pulse, and felt short of breath. Although it wasn't a panic attack, there was no denying that my body was in control of that situation.
But where do all of these worries, anxieties, doubts, fears, and nausea truly come from? Like any emotion, these worrisome fears come from the body. The body, not the brain.
What one must understand is that our brains are not separate from our bodies, and our bodies are not separate from the environment is travels through. Consider this: why is it we must eat food? It's not because we are simply satisfying the mental urge to eat; it's because the nutrients of that food must be metabolized by the myriad of amazing cellular processes in every living organism. And it is this machine which will ensure that the molecules and atoms from the environment make their way into your being.
What does this have to do with worrying? Well, what one must understand is that it is simply a mental construct resulting from the amazing cognitive processes in you, as the chemical processes in your neurological system form an amazing set of emergent gates which you know as your consciousness. Our conscious being is not something we fully understand (yet), but it is much more mechanical and predictable than one would imagine.
Worry comes from an uneasiness between environmental models in the brain, and the perceived world outside. Worry, like any emotion, is exacerbated by our body's state. If we are low on blood sugar, or tired, or have cramps, our brain will make different sorts of decision-processes.
So, don't worry. When analyzing any given situation, do not think about the bad or worst outcomes, and do not think about what your "gut" is telling you. Instead, take a few breaths, step back, and give your problem a good rational look. Ask yourself:
But where do all of these worries, anxieties, doubts, fears, and nausea truly come from? Like any emotion, these worrisome fears come from the body. The body, not the brain.
What one must understand is that our brains are not separate from our bodies, and our bodies are not separate from the environment is travels through. Consider this: why is it we must eat food? It's not because we are simply satisfying the mental urge to eat; it's because the nutrients of that food must be metabolized by the myriad of amazing cellular processes in every living organism. And it is this machine which will ensure that the molecules and atoms from the environment make their way into your being.
What does this have to do with worrying? Well, what one must understand is that it is simply a mental construct resulting from the amazing cognitive processes in you, as the chemical processes in your neurological system form an amazing set of emergent gates which you know as your consciousness. Our conscious being is not something we fully understand (yet), but it is much more mechanical and predictable than one would imagine.
Worry comes from an uneasiness between environmental models in the brain, and the perceived world outside. Worry, like any emotion, is exacerbated by our body's state. If we are low on blood sugar, or tired, or have cramps, our brain will make different sorts of decision-processes.
So, don't worry. When analyzing any given situation, do not think about the bad or worst outcomes, and do not think about what your "gut" is telling you. Instead, take a few breaths, step back, and give your problem a good rational look. Ask yourself:
- What is the problem, exactly?
- Is it within my power to solve this problem?
- How much time will it take to solve this problem?
