Why is it that some of us have more anxiety than others?

Of course that is a very complex and loaded question.

Ultimately it’s because our personalities differ but also because our experiences and perceptions of reality differ.

I have been watching the entertaining limitless program on National Geographic with Chris Hemsworth.

In the first episode there is a nice reminder on how to achieve resilience and reduce stress and anxiety levels going forward in our lives.

Every challenge we overcome, increases our mental resilience ability.

Of course most of us know this already, that those that have been wrapped up in cotton wool throughout their lives often suffer from increased anxiety levels as they get older.

Threat can be perceived everywhere.

Whilst most of us that have overcome a variety of different obstacles often have greater resilience and lower anxiety levels.

It’s a basic concept but seemingly often true most of the time.

Of course there are limits to this with the severity of the ‘challenge’, because a death of a loved one or assault can potentially send someone over the edge.

What I’m really talking about here is actively and proactively seeking challenges to consciously increase our resilience so that we can better handle the challenges that will come our way because no matter who we are in this life, they will come around at one point or another.

A study by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that “people who experienced a moderate level of adversity in there life, reported better mental health and well-being and higher life satisfaction over time compared to both those groups who reported a high history of adversity and those with no history of adversity.” 

If you feel like your resiliency needs to be improved and that you want to get a handle on your anxiety, perhaps it’s time to introduce particular challenges into your life.

Making yourself uncomfortable, whether it be physical training or facing phobias, might just be what you need for a happier and more productive future.

Start small.

Your coach,

Rupert Hambly