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What do we actually mean by anxiety, this modern day plague that’s paralyzing organizations? Test your knowledge of this normal emotion which can actually be good for you.

Based on

Future Tense : Why Anxiety Is Good For You (Even Though It Feels Bad) by Tracy Dennis-Tiwary – (Harper Wave, 2022)


I - What happens if the organizers of a test on anxiety explain the mechanisms before starting? The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a laboratory procedure used to induce acute psychosocial stress in participants. Each participant has to deliver a prepared speech - without notes - to a panel of examiners in lab coats who show no reaction at all. This is followed by a surprise timed mental arithmetic test. So what happens if the mechanism is explained to participants in advance?

A. Anxiety levels in all of them, even the calmest, increase. Anxiety feeds off anxiety.
B. It doesn’t change anything.
C. Physical stress levels among those most nervous reduce significantly.
Right !
Answer C: A study led by a team from Harvard in 2013 showed that the simple fact of having your anxiety recognized limited its physical and psychological impact to a degree. Better still, presenting anxiety as a phenomenon that was not only normal but also potentially beneficial to participants, considerably reduced the consequences of stress on the most anxious, particularly regarding heart rates and the chemical response to stress.
Wrong !
Answer C: A study led by a team from Harvard in 2013 showed that the simple fact of having your anxiety recognized limited its physical and psychological impact to a degree. Better still, presenting anxiety as a phenomenon that was not only normal but also potentially beneficial to participants, considerably reduced the consequences of stress on the most anxious, particularly regarding heart rates and the chemical response to stress.

What do our thumbs and anxiety have in common?

A - Sucking the former eases the effects of the latter.
B - They appeared at roughly the same time in the history of human development.
C - These are two character traits we share with large primates.
Right !
Answer B and C: Just like opposable thumbs which revolutionized our mastery of our surroundings, anxiety enabled intelligence in large primates, and, in particular, humans, to take a major leap forward by pushing them to think about the future and prepare themselves to face potential risks. Of all the evolutionary advantages, it has, undoubtedly, been one of the most decisive in the survival and development of our species.
Wrong !
Answer B and C: Just like opposable thumbs which revolutionized our mastery of our surroundings, anxiety enabled intelligence in large primates, and, in particular, humans, to take a major leap forward by pushing them to think about the future and prepare themselves to face potential risks. Of all the evolutionary advantages, it has, undoubtedly, been one of the most decisive in the survival and development of our species.

Faced with anxiety, it is better to be:

A - Resilient, like the phoenix.
B - Antifragile, like the Hydra of Herne.
C - Ignorant, like the ostrich.
Right !
Answer B: Developed by essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the concept of antifragility describes the ability of a system to develop and prosper in a highly unstable and unpredictable environment. Unlike a resilient organism which traverses the unpredictable without bending, but also without learning anything - think of the phoenix which rises out of the ashes each time simply in its initial state - an antifragile organism profits from the unexpected to progress: cut of a hydra’s head and two grow back in its place. The first stage of an antifragile attitude is to listen to your anxiety to understand its motives.
Lastly, resist the temptation to bury your head in the sand like an ostrich; by avoiding confrontation with your worries, you deprive yourself of useful lessons, and you run the risk of reinforcing your anxiety until it becomes crippling.
Wrong !
Answer B: Developed by essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the concept of antifragility describes the ability of a system to develop and prosper in a highly unstable and unpredictable environment. Unlike a resilient organism which traverses the unpredictable without bending, but also without learning anything - think of the phoenix which rises out of the ashes each time simply in its initial state - an antifragile organism profits from the unexpected to progress: cut of a hydra’s head and two grow back in its place. The first stage of an antifragile attitude is to listen to your anxiety to understand its motives.
Lastly, resist the temptation to bury your head in the sand like an ostrich; by avoiding confrontation with your worries, you deprive yourself of useful lessons, and you run the risk of reinforcing your anxiety until it becomes crippling.

When anxious, your body produces more…

A - Oxytocin, the hormone of love and social connections.
B - Cortisol, the stress hormone.
C - Dopamine, the hormone of instant gratification.
Right !
Answer: All three! When you are anxious, your body makes chemical changes to prepare you for uncertainty. It generates more cortisol, to draw your attention to the potential danger threatening your future. It also produces oxytocin, which will encourage you to seek cohesion with those around you and boost your creativity. Lastly, it stimulates the secretion of dopamine, which will boost your alertness and perseverance by rewarding you each time you carry out an action to protect you against the perceived threat.
Wrong !
Answer: All three! When you are anxious, your body makes chemical changes to prepare you for uncertainty. It generates more cortisol, to draw your attention to the potential danger threatening your future. It also produces oxytocin, which will encourage you to seek cohesion with those around you and boost your creativity. Lastly, it stimulates the secretion of dopamine, which will boost your alertness and perseverance by rewarding you each time you carry out an action to protect you against the perceived threat.

In the event of a spike in anxiety, what do you think would be the worst reflex?

A - Indulging in a marathon session of Fruit Ninja, 2048, or any other meaningless mobile game.
B - Surfing social media until your thumb cramps.
C - Creating a mind map of your anxiety.
Right !
Answer B: One widely-shared reflex is to go on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook when uncertainty about the future brings on a cold sweat. It is a totally counter-productive reflex; visiting social networks actively helps increase your anxiety by reinforcing your impression that you are alone and helpless compared to others who are more successful.

Mobile games, on the other hand, particularly the “hyper casual” type (very short format, super simple rules, involving no emotions) seem to play a positive role in helping you ease the pressure for a while, without affecting your long-term alertness. Lastly, creating a mind map of your anxiety can be very useful in sorting your worries and putting a stop to sterile and painful ruminations.
Wrong !
Answer B: One widely-shared reflex is to go on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook when uncertainty about the future brings on a cold sweat. It is a totally counter-productive reflex; visiting social networks actively helps increase your anxiety by reinforcing your impression that you are alone and helpless compared to others who are more successful.

Mobile games, on the other hand, particularly the “hyper casual” type (very short format, super simple rules, involving no emotions) seem to play a positive role in helping you ease the pressure for a while, without affecting your long-term alertness. Lastly, creating a mind map of your anxiety can be very useful in sorting your worries and putting a stop to sterile and painful ruminations.

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