Action Is the Antidote to Anxiety
I don’t know about you, but with the election imminent, my screentime is smashing personal records. The doom-scrolling is nonstop: I can’t bear to look at the polls and headlines, yet I also can’t tear myself away.
With the fast-changing coverage, my emotions cycle hourly from hope to despondency. When I find myself dwelling in despair for too long, I try to reground by remembering that action is the antidote to anxiety.
The old chestnut hit hard during a recent flight. With no WiFi to distract, I searched for stimulation in my iPhone notes. There, in the long-neglected “essay ideas” folder, I found a gem: “If I’m not actually fighting for change, I’m going to feel helpless. Being a voice for others is the only way to calm my nerves.”
While I don’t recall the original author, I do remember feeling the same gut punch as when I first found the quote. The message was much-needed: doing something — a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. — is the only way to keep the overwhelm at bay.
This theory of change isn’t exactly a revelation. I explored “tiptoeing up the second mountain” in last month’s Shop Talk column. But I suppose I need to internalize it more fully, as the universe keeps sending cheeky reminders.
While taking a breather from my Aunt Alexis duties during a recent trip to the zoo, I found a flyer for a “One Degree of Change” campaign in the Kids’ Kingdom bathroom stall. With a hockey stick chart, the poster heralded the world-changing impact of a simple switch from paper towels to hand dryers. Later that weekend, I found a discarded wine cork while wiping my counters post-dinner party. On it, a simple command: “Start by helping one person.” And during my morning scroll of the Center for Action and Contemplation’s daily newsletter (a must-read!), I learned about the “Little Way” of Thérèse of Lisieux. The French mystic eschewed grandiose visions for changing the world, commending instead small actions done with great love.
The signs were everywhere, all pointing in the same direction: small is all. I am coming to realize the solution to my despair is likely not some billion-dollar — or follower — campaign for global economic reform. Instead, it’s immediate, tangible acts of kindness – raking leaves for my elderly neighbor or offering to pick up a friend’s kid from school. Maybe for today it’s just putting my phone down and being fully present to a partner or pet.
As it happens, remarkable things can happen when you’re not connected to WiFi. On that recent flight, I found another treasure in my “spirituality” sub-folder — the “Serenity Prayer” popularized by 12-step programs. May its truth calm our collective nervous system as we count down to E-Day next Tuesday.
WORLD - Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Have any feedback, favorite quotes, or thoughts for future columns? Send it to Alexis@TheSalonPGH.com
