The fastest acting anxiety reliever on the the market

When confronted with anxiety, most people's gut response is to “escape.”

It feels good to put as much distance between themselves and the thing that ignites the anxiety. The problem is anxiety isn’t a bug.

It’s an essential feature of the system.

It’s telling us something is at stake, and it’s worth breaking down what “at stake means.”

It doesn’t just mean there’s danger, although that can be true. It’s more accurate to say we’re confronting a risk vs. reward scenario.

So, the anxiety isn’t like a fire alarm blaring for you to escape.

It’s more like a notification system that alerts you to the pros and cons of your decisions.

Here’s the thing: humans HATE how anxiety feels, especially modern humans. We live life with a level of comfort and ease entirely unimaginable for previous generations.

Much of that comfort comes from the predictability of everyday life.

The heat and A/C keep our living spaces at a consistently comfortable temperature.

Refrigerators are typically full; when they’re not, you can have food delivered to your doorstep in minutes.

On top of that, we’re inundated with expertly curated highlight reels of influencers and celebrities on every social media platform.

The cultural expectation we’ve absorbed is that nothing is ever at stake.

There is no risk, only reward.

There is no downside.

And then the downside hits.

We find ourselves face to face with the risk and uncertainty, and it feels like things “shouldn’t be this way.

Yes, they should; we’ve just been conditioned to believe otherwise because that’s what sells products and holds attention.

Here’s the silver lining. 

Processing anxiety is easier than most people think.

The easiest way to do it is simply moving your body; walking is particularly valuable.

Why?

We’re built to move. We’re wired to process things when we’re up and moving; it literally alters the activity of the brain when we’re up and moving.

So, if you want to improve how you feel reliably, walk more.

It will help you process the world, uncertainty, and the feeling of unfairness more quickly and efficiently.

On top of that, walking just 21 minutes/day decreases your risk of heart disease (the number one killer in the US and Europe) by 30%.

Get your steps; your brain and your heart will thank you.

Weekly Challenge

Your challenge for this week is to walk at least 21 minutes daily. 21 minutes is the minimum, so if you CAN do more, make it happen.

While you’re walking, pay attention to the texture of your thoughts. You’ll likely notice that the longer you walk, the less abrasive they become.

Give it a shot; let me know how it goes.