Anxious? Ask Yourself 'What Inspires Me?'

Everyone has experienced anxiety at one point in their life. For some, it is easier to resolve than others. When anxiety starts becoming debilitating and interfering with your ability to enjoy your life, it's time to think about ways to treat it rather than continuing to suffer. 

"Lowering anxiety isn't about just subtracting our troubles," explains Martha Beck, bestselling author, coach and speaker, "We need to learn how to use our brain differently." 

With her new book, "Beyond Anxiety; Curiosity, Creativity and Finding Your Life's Purpose," Beck hopes to help people re-frame how they view and work through their anxiety. "People mistakenly believe that the opposite of anxiety is calm," Beck says. "But brain science shows that it is actually creativity. When we are creating things, especially using our senses and our hands, our anxieties will start to slow down naturally." 

Rather than admonishing themselves to "calm down" when anxiety rises, Beck encourages people to ask themselves, "What inspires me?" She explains, "When we approach anxiety as something that needs to be attacked, we tend to exacerbate it. The way to lower anxiety effectively is to find ways to engage in purpose, joy and intimate connection with each other and the world." 

Beck believes one of the main reasons so many people in the world have increased anxiety is because we live in a left-brain dominant society. She explains, "Our culture overwhelmingly values productivity, money and material items, and convinces us that to stay productive, we must stay anxious."

Conversely, many of us use our right brain hemispheres less. "Our right brain is the part that generates meaning, purpose and joy," she says. "But this gets trivialized in our society. Many people who come to me for coaching tell me, 'I have no sense of purpose,' and often it's because their thinking is so left-brain dominant the right-side functions seem to have all but disappeared."

The fear of the future and the unknown causes most anxiety. "It's easy to see why people are anxious given all that is going on in the world right now," Beck says. "It is an extremely chaotic time, and people feel they have no control."

Living in an "anxiety spiral" has become so common it's seen as a normal mental state. But that doesn't have to be the case. Instead, Beck suggests a "creativity spiral" as a way to lower anxiety. 

"There are things you can make, things you can change, and ways to make things feel better," Beck says. "When engaged in simple creative tasks, you shift the brain's focus and naturally lower anxious thoughts."

So, how can you turn on the right side of your brain and become more creative? Beck says, "We want to begin by thinking in an inclusive and expansive way. Rather than saying, 'What am I going to do today?' try asking yourself, 'What am I going to create or make with my life today?'" 

Engaging your creativity can be as easy as making a dinner date with a friend, coloring in a coloring book or planting flowers in a small garden. "It's a mindset of creation," Beck explains. "One study found that 98% of 4- to 5-year-olds tested as creative geniuses. A mere 2% of adults test into that category. We think we have lost our creativity, but it's been there all along. We have to re-discover it." 

Some people struggle to tap into their creativity because they judge their actions with left-hemisphere values. Beck says, "To be creative, you need to forgo comparative judgment." 

For example, spend an afternoon baking a pie. Don't worry if you are not an experienced baker — making the most delicious pie isn't actually the goal. Instead, focus on the joy of mixing the ingredients and rolling the dough. Allow yourself to get lost in the task without worrying how the pie will turn out. Even if you wind up throwing it away because it is inedible, it doesn't matter. "It's not about what you produce; it's about engaging in the creative process," Beck says. 

"We are social primates," Beck explains. "For most of history, people woke up hearing natural sounds and working, often together, in ways that were more creative than, say, an office job. They spent their time on tasks like fishing, weaving, gardening and cooking."

But today, those activities are considered hobbies and more frivolous ways to spend time. "Today, we wake up in the dark to the sound of alarm clocks and focus on competitive individual achievements and the pursuit of wealth," she says. "Modern culture has fostered a separateness that is terrible for our biology." 

Being creative on your own is great, but creating alongside others allows for a sense of belonging and safety. "Make this the year you find your tribe," Beck says. "Join a knitting circle, form a book group, or volunteer at a soup kitchen. When you create together, it is calming and restorative." 

While physical connection is better, online connections can also be therapeutic. Beck has created an online community she calls "Wilder." She explains: "Members can log on for things like 'Arty Friday Hangs,' where we spend online time together doing something creative in our own space. I'll paint while others garden or draw. It's a joyful way to connect with others."

It takes time and patience to change a habit or way of thinking. Embracing creativity may not feel natural initially but keep going. 

Keep looking for ways to engage, create and connect. "The key to rewiring your brain is repetition," Beck says. "It's not a quick fix. Instead, you need to keep doing it, and eventually, you will reap the mental health benefits creativity can offer."

Randi Mazzella is a freelance writer specializing in a wide range of topics from parenting to pop culture to life after 50. She is a mother of three grown children and lives in New Jersey with her husband.  Read more of her work on randimazzella.com. Read More