Why do people find it hard to let go of anxiety?

 In my mindfulness groups working with medical students and other front-line healthcare professionals, some participants struggle to let go of their anxiety. Dr. Jud Brewer described how people commonly link anxiety with success. Some people attribute their success to anxiety as a critical driving force to boost their academic and work performance. He explicitly named the notion, "If you are stressed, you are making a contribution. If you're not stressed, you're a loser."

 Is that true?

 He criticized such a notion as somehow romanticized. Interestingly, he elaborated on a phrase shared by his Ph.D. mentor, Dr. Louis Muglia, "true-true-unrelated," something basic we adopt in scientific research. Correlation is not the same as causation. Being anxious may help us work harder, but it is not necessarily a critical factor leading to a successful outcome.

 In mindfulness practice, this is indeed something important to reflect on. If participants are not aware of the intention they carried, mindfulness practice could amplify their anxiety. Being in touch more vividly with their physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts, the practitioner may not find relief through the practice. Living in the modern world filled with anxiety-provoking conditions, finding peace is becoming an essential life skill. When someone cannot take care of strong emotions in oneself, the negative impact could be contagious and cause harm not only to personal health but also to the relational wellbeing in the family, workplace, and social network.

 According to the traditional text of Buddhist teaching, recognizing the hindrance is crucial for the purification of the mind. Nevertheless, meditating without recognizing such a hindrance can become a "mis-meditating" practice. (Anālayo, 2003). 

 Learning to live with ease is never easy. Are you willing to explore this part of your life starting today?

References

Anālayo. (2003). Satipaṭṭhāna : the direct path to realization. Windhorse.

Brewer, J. (2021). Unwinding anxiety: new science shows how to break the cycles of worry and fear to heal your mind. Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House.