Arthur Brooks—Harvard professor and behavioral scientist—defines anxiety as a chronic, low-grade fear response that protected our hunter-gatherer ancestors but now often misfires in modern life. He offers strategies to reframe one’s anxiety.

Regard your anxiety as “unfocused fear.”
Endeavor to clarify and name your anxiety so that it is not a vague fear lingering in the background of your thoughts.
Journal your anxiety. Write down your source of anxiety, then write what you believe is the . . .


Worst possible outcome
Best possible outcome
Most probable outcome

Here’s how I used the process above to tame my anxiety:

Naming my anxiety: Trump administration’s actions toward creating an authoritarian government in the U.S.

My worst-case scenario: Chaos, violence, and a slide into permanent authoritarianism


My best-case scenario: Trump is forced to resign, without their leader the cult splinters, and MAGA is swept into the dustbin of history


My most likely scenario: The administration’s missteps and overreach continue to erode public support, and elections help restore balance.

​Did my anxiety completely disappear after I completed the actions above? No, but having gone through those steps separated my worst fears from what I believe will actually happen. I am not now overwhelmed by the chaos and violence. And I know that I have a role in putting an end to it.

Watch Arthur Brooks’ video Stop Trying to “Let Go” of Anxiety. Do This Instead.

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