Anxiety, characterized by high arousal and negative valence, often arises in new or uncertain situations, particularly in social contexts. The challenge in calming anxiety lies in simultaneously adjusting both emotional states. Research by Brooks (2014) presents an alternative approach: reappraising anxiety as excitement. This method focuses on maintaining high arousal while shifting the emotional response from negative to positive. By doing so, individuals can perceive anxious situations as thrilling opportunities rather than threats, leading to improved focus and performance during stressful interactions.
Anxiety raises our energy but makes us feel bad. To calm down, we must change both our emotional valence and level of arousal, which can be challenging.
Anxiety and excitement are similar emotional states, raising energy levels and anticipating uncertain events but differing in valence, allowing us to reappraise anxiety positively.
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