I have read Nothing Works. Some of you here have praised it and let me join the choir. If I were religious, I would not doubt that Chris is an angel.
Processing some of this, thinking about anxiety and the general worries that life contains, Nothing works gave rise to some reflections or issues that I would like to find an answer to.
Anxiety is basically – generally speaking - a physical response to negative thoughts blown out of proportion. Ok.
For me, and I don’t know if that’s general, my mind is preoccupied with wanting to be prepared for whatever crisis or tragedy that may happen in the future. How will I cope? Maybe one day I will have to face the fear of being in the doctor’s office getting a serious diagnosis. Maybe one day a loved one will fall ill. Chances are that fear for real reasons will come one day. When anxious, I’m really preoccupied with this feeling of not having the resources or a plan to help me cope. When I’m not anxious, I’m still preoccupied with this – how will I face real danger? What are my resources? How do people cope with real life threats?
Maybe the question is an existential one. Yes, I can go by doing what Chris suggests, reading a book, playing a game with my kids and feel grateful for not being faced with any real threat today. Be happy doing nothing. On this forum we tell each other ‘you’re fine’, ‘none of what you’re fearing is real’. I like to be reassured that everyone really is fine, but this safe haven of everything being fine seems kind of deceitful, because chances are that one day… Somehow I need to answer this question to “let go” of my anxiety. Will doing nothing also help when and if that day comes, when there is a real threat?
Is this just one of the ultimate challenges in life, does the answer lie in whatever wisdom we may develop over the years? What do you all do to build up your resources to cope with real life and death? Does the answer lie in spirituality, mindfulness, ACT, positive thinking, simple living, doing nothing?
Love to hear your reflections, even though I know it’s a big one on a Wednesday night.