Humans are the only species on Earth to…

Humans are the only species on Earth to _____ fill in the blank. We’ll get to that in a sec! First, a little bit on Fear vs. Anxiety.

Fear has a purpose: Self-preservation. When there is real, objective danger staring you in the face, fear is what kicks you into the famous “flight-or-fight” mode. This quick chemical response from the older part of the brain has helped both animals and humans survive for millennia.

Future Thinking

Now, there’s an important difference between animals and humans. When you see a lion chasing a buffalo, the buffalo is using his flight-or-fight response to preserve his life. And if the buffalo escapes safely, you probably won’t catch him pacing around the savannah worrying about the lion’s return. Why? Animals don’t ponder the future.

In fact, humans are the only species on the planet capable of thinking critically about the future. Pretty cool, huh? The downside is that humans are also the only species capable of triggering that same stress response when there is no immediate danger.

Get this – you can be sitting peacefully at home and one simple worried thought about the future can throw your entire body into flight-or-fight mode. Remember, this is a response which pumps chemicals throughout your body, preparing you to escape danger. It’s the reason your heart races, palms get sweaty, stomach aches etc. – even when nothing is actually threatening your life! This is anxiety.

What you should take away is this: you are not your thoughts. You are not in danger when you start worrying about the “What If” questions of the future. First, calm your stress response down with deep breathing. Then rely on your logical brain to map out solutions to any recurring worries.

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