Four Lessons From Your Anxious Brain
Pandemic life has saddled us with lots of conflicting emotions. Here’s how to cope with feelings of uncertainty and make a fresh start.
Credit.Nathalie Lees
Feeling unsettled? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Welcome to the summer of 2021.
I asked thousands of New York Times readers of all ages to share how they’re feeling right now. The most common answers revealed the mixed feelings of the past 14 months: unsettled, anxious, overwhelmed, frazzled, tired, hopeful, optimistic, stressful, exhausted, excited.
Some readers said just one word was not enough to describe how they’re feeling.
“Bored, anxious, hopeful all at once. Is there a word for that?” asked one reader.
The Challenge
Try this simple five-finger breathing exercise you can do anywhere. (I use this in the dentist chair.) Hold one hand in front of you, fingers spread. Now, slowly trace the outside of your hand with the index finger on your other hand, breathing in when you trace up a finger, and out when you trace down. Move up and down all five fingers. When you’ve traced your whole hand, reverse direction and do it again. Here’s a video animation to help.
Why Am I Doing This?
This multisensory meditation practice has been popularized by Dr. Judson Brewer, director of research and innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center and author of the new book, “Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind.” Dr. Brewer, who is also a neuroscientist, says it’s important to remember that your brain is like a computer, and it has only a certain amount of working memory. Anxiety, worry and other negative emotions can take ove
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Judson Brewer, who is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, is the author of the new book âUnwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind.â He is the director of research and innovation at Brown Universityâs Mindfulness Center and an associate professor in the universityâs medical school and school of public health. He specializes in helping people cope with addiction and create better habits.