I agree. I have learned in my own life that when I get anxious, often times the best antidote is “action”. So anxiety does propel me to take action. (Although, I still don’t like feeling anxious).
How is it we have so much in common? Like you, I used to enjoy snowboard jumping, though I think on a modest scale. And like you, I once injuried myself going off a jump blind, ending my season.
I think a lot about stress, fear, and anxiety. Essentially the same topic. And I think about both the utility and the costs of those feelings. I like to think that stress enables us to "break the rules" or exceed our limits. Its drive exception behavior and action. The operative word is "exceptional". When you go beyond the norm, you are digging into your reserves. Could be internal reserves such as physical and emotional or external reserves such as money and friendship. The thing is, its deficit spending. Good in the short term but likely not maintainable. The research is very clear....in the long run "stress kills!".
Wow, that's so curious, Gordon. This is a great point!
Though I think there's a distinction to be made between deficit spending and pushing yourself to a healthy, sustainable limit. I don't exactly know how to draw that line other than by intuition as it's largely internal state management, but I know that sometimes my anxiety will push me to do something and I'll feel burnt out the next day, but other times it'll push me to do something and I'll feel even more invigorated later on. Going out of your comfort zone I'd generally see as beneficial, while reaching beyond cognitive exhaustion could be damaging (letting your stress build, perhaps).
Repeatedly reaching close to failure in exercise, for instance, is a reasonable first approximation of what drives muscle growth. While our brains certainly operate differently, I imagine some principles are transferable.
It's unfortunate that anxiety is often the characteristic signature of both.
Great article!
I agree. I have learned in my own life that when I get anxious, often times the best antidote is “action”. So anxiety does propel me to take action. (Although, I still don’t like feeling anxious).
yes! love that. I suppose I could've summed up the entire post in "the best antidote to anxiety is action"
How is it we have so much in common? Like you, I used to enjoy snowboard jumping, though I think on a modest scale. And like you, I once injuried myself going off a jump blind, ending my season.
I think a lot about stress, fear, and anxiety. Essentially the same topic. And I think about both the utility and the costs of those feelings. I like to think that stress enables us to "break the rules" or exceed our limits. Its drive exception behavior and action. The operative word is "exceptional". When you go beyond the norm, you are digging into your reserves. Could be internal reserves such as physical and emotional or external reserves such as money and friendship. The thing is, its deficit spending. Good in the short term but likely not maintainable. The research is very clear....in the long run "stress kills!".
Wow, that's so curious, Gordon. This is a great point!
Though I think there's a distinction to be made between deficit spending and pushing yourself to a healthy, sustainable limit. I don't exactly know how to draw that line other than by intuition as it's largely internal state management, but I know that sometimes my anxiety will push me to do something and I'll feel burnt out the next day, but other times it'll push me to do something and I'll feel even more invigorated later on. Going out of your comfort zone I'd generally see as beneficial, while reaching beyond cognitive exhaustion could be damaging (letting your stress build, perhaps).
Repeatedly reaching close to failure in exercise, for instance, is a reasonable first approximation of what drives muscle growth. While our brains certainly operate differently, I imagine some principles are transferable.
It's unfortunate that anxiety is often the characteristic signature of both.