Embracing The Anxiety Of Problem Solving

<p>Many of the best insights I have gained over the years have often been counter-intuitive.</p> <p>For example, as I have been developing muscular strength with a rigorous weight training program, I have found that I can push more weight and complete more sets when I relax and calm myself mentally before and during each group. The calmness helps me push through the pain.</p> <p>In this example, the more obvious approach (for me at least) would be to pump myself up with a bunch of deep breaths and yell out loud in aggression before my set. The calm approach is a far more effective and counter-intuitive solution.</p> <p>In the title of this article, I am suggesting another counter-intuitive method when I say “embrace the anxiety” of problem-solving.</p> <p>You might be thinking, “why would I ever want to embrace anxiety? </p> <p>I mean anxiety causes stress and stress cause health problems.”</p> <p><b>Here’s the deal:</b></p> <p>Have you ever sat down to write an article on a new topic that you were not comfortable with (or maybe an essay in school), read a complicated instructional manual for a new piece of furniture or attempted to learn a new piece of software on your computer that was out of your technical capacity?</p> <p>If so, do you recall the sensations of frustration and anxiety that swept over you, especially in the earliest phases of the task?</p> <p>How did you react to the uncomfortable feelings associated with that frustration/anxiety?</p> <p>If you’re anything like most people, you quickly sought relief by checking Facebook, watching </p> <p>Youtube, checking email, sending a text, turning the TV on, eating a snack or doing any other “comfort” activity that helped you escape the horrible feeling you had been experiencing.</p> <p>What you probably did not realize at the time, was that this phase of anxiety is the most natural experience in the world. As your brain is working to solve the problem and perform the work in front of you, this anxious feeling is simply a by-product of the