Martha Beck
Anxiety is not a flaw to be cured, but a signal that can be redirected through curiosity, glimmers, and play.
Present-focused fear is a natural survival instinct that subsides once danger passes, whereas future-oriented anxiety is a persistent state of foreboding generated by the stories we tell ourselves.
Rather than trying to fight or suppress anxiety, we can soothe our inner emotional creature with self-compassion, physical comfort, and sensory grounding, while recognizing that protective inner parts may be trying to keep us safe.
Moving out of an anxiety spiral requires shifting from an analytical mental mode to a creative mental mode because the brain cannot easily sustain anxiety and curiosity at the same time.