Anxiety again - the most effective way to stop it.

(And more stories and pictures from the road)

I promised to write about interrupting politely and effectively, and it's coming… Next week. That's because I kept thinking I didn't say everything I should've said about anxiety last week. It feels like an unfinished business, so here's more about that. However, the promised road trip stories are here as pictures.

Last week, I gave you guys many suggestions on how to prevent and manage anxiety in the short and long term. But here's what I consider the most effective way to nip it when it feels like it's taking over your life.

As we discussed last week, anxiety is your body's response to your mind's interpretation of reality. Your mind, observing what is happening, remembering something from the past, or speculating about the future, about things it considers meaningful and important but problematic, causes you to feel uneasy and uncomfortable. You become anxious.

I mentioned briefly that some anxiety could actually be motivating. Worrying about an exam, we could study and do well. Anxious about an upcoming event or trip could motivate us to prepare well and pay attention to details. Financial anxiety could motivate us to save money and become financially independent.

The anxiety diminishes when we do well on the exam, have a great time at the event or on our trip, and feel secure with a financial cushion of savings.