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Sometimes, our anxiety feels far more intense than the situation seems to justify.

That's because our brain often reacts to modern stressors as if a predator were just around the corner.

Learn five practical steps to quiet the ancient survival instincts driving unnecessary anxiety.

Do criticism, uncertainty, health concerns, financial setbacks, relationship problems, or personal losses trigger anxiety that feels far more intense than the situation seems to justify?

If so, the problem may not be weakness, lack of willpower, or faulty thinking.

The problem may be that your brain is doing exactly what it evolved to do in the harsh environments of our ancestors.

Case scenario of a patient with excessive anxiety

Because Sylvia’s mother died of stomach cancer, Sylvia became extremely anxious about getting the same cancer. Despite numerous endoscopies, blood tests, and CT scans showing no abnormalities, Sylvia’s anxiety grew to the point that she couldn’t get any restful sleep anymore.

Constantly worried, she discovered that snacking calmed her anxiety. She became obese, hypertensive, and diabetic. Her anxious body, hard-wired by the constant food scarcity of her ancestors to fear starvation, pushed her to stuff herself with food and do as little physical exercise as possible to conserve energy.

A vicious circle emerged where obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes elevated her risk of a heart attack, cancer, and death. Awareness of this led her to be more anxious, which led her to eat more, etc.

Where did Sylvia’s excessive anxiety come from?

Evolutionary roots of excessive anxiety

Sylvia........

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