Love Letters to an Anxious Brain, Part One: The Ancestors

Dear Anxious Brain,

First, do not lose hope.  Despair will tell you there is nothing to be done, that this is just the way things are.  It’s not true.  You, most of all, have the power to change your life.  It is very simple but very difficult: all you have to do is change your mind.

“Great!” you say.  “Can you take away my anxiety? Why do I even have it?”

Anxiety is a tool that our ancestors have handed down to us, although, like most family heirlooms, it no longer serves the purpose it once did. 

Imagine you are gathering wild mushrooms when you hear the crack of a twig behind you in the forest.  Before you are even aware of the possibility of danger, glands in your abdomen send your body to red alert.  Digestion slows down and your heart pumps your blood faster, sending oxygen to the muscles tensing in your limbs so that you can sprint away from a predator.

If you are prepared to sprint, but it turns out the sound was just your brother coming to see if you were finished gathering mushrooms, no harm, no foul.  If you are not prepared to sprint, and there is a cougar coming up behind you, then I’m sorry to say that you will not live long enough to pass on your genes to the next generation.  False positives -- jumping when your brother sneaks up on you -- are cheap.  False negatives -- whistling away while a cougar licks its chops behind you -- are costly. 

We are hardwired for anxiety because it kept our ancestors alive.  The world around us has changed much faster than the human genome, and the same responses that saved us from death and destruction now keep us running ever faster through an electronic jungle.

So how can you take back your mind from the ancestors?  How can you train your mind to give you peace and patience as you pursue your goals?

Tune in next week for the next installment of the Love Letters to an Anxious Brain series to learn how you can fight anxiety -- starting with something as simple as your breath.

Ya Boi,

Ms. Sharpe

PS. If you are looking for support or tools to help manage your anxiety, consider using these resources:

Phone Lines
First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness 1-855-242-3310
Vancouver Island Crisis Line
1‑888-494-3888

Apps
Booster Buddy
MindShift
Insight Timer
Calm

And remember…
You can always make an appointment to see Ms. Hillbrecht, Ms. Toole, or Kim Chadwick.