"Running our lives involves making decisions and navigating choices. Some are small-what to eat for lunch, what to wear-while others are significant-getting married, moving, or like Kate and Alex, repairing a relationship or choosing a job. Which path should we follow? When in doubt, choose the one that feels more challenging. Why? It's about anxiety."
"Anxiety always concerns the future, and its voice is generally one of caution, sticking to your comfort zone, and choosing what's easier. If you're anxious about going to a party where most people are strangers, your anxiety will push you to call in sick and stay home. If you're anxious about asking your boss for a raise, your anxiety will tell you to let it go and not bother."
Decisions range from trivial choices to life-changing ones such as marriage, moving, repairing relationships, or career selection. Anxiety arises from uncertainty about an unpredictable future and pushes toward safer, easier options. The anxious voice favors caution and the comfort zone, which reduces exposure to challenges and gradually narrows possibilities. Examples include hesitating to reconnect after conflict and weighing higher pay against purpose-aligned work. Choosing the more difficult option expands experience, enlarges the comfort zone, and builds self-confidence. Embracing challenge and going against the grain enables fuller self-realization.
Read at Psychology Today
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