If you’ve been feeling insecure and anxious lately, you’re not alone. We’re living in times of increasing uncertainty. Rapid changes in technology, economics, and politics, and the lingering effects of the COVID pandemic have undermined our sense of security, bringing record levels of fear and anxiety worldwide (Kruglanski et al., 2025; World Health Organization, 2025).

Reacting with fear puts us into survival mode, causing us to respond to a perceived threat with fight, flight, or freeze. While this reaction may save our lives in an emergency, in daily life, it can undermine our effectiveness and well-being. This fear reaction shuts down our higher brain centers, keeping us from thinking clearly and taking constructive action (Jarymowicz & Bar-Tal, 2006; LeDoux, 1996). An undercurrent of fear and anxiety can increase our expectations of danger, leading us to “misinterpret cues and information as signs of threat,” and attack someone who disagrees with us as an enemy (Jarymowicz & Bar-Tal, 2006, p. 379).

Yet in these uncertain times, taking small steps can increase your happiness and well-being. Research has revealed that experiencing positive feelings during stressful situations can bring you a sense of control over your life and help you........

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