Stop Letting Anxiety Hold You Back

Summary

Arthur Brooks argues that anxiety is not something to eliminate completely. In manageable amounts, it can help us notice risks, stay engaged, learn, and reach a state of “flow.” The aim is to manage anxiety so it supports life rather than disrupts it. Chronic, excessive anxiety, he says, can interfere with well-being and may be associated with physical health risks.

Brooks suggests that modern habits—especially heavy social media and device use—may contribute to rising anxiety. He points to social comparison, less face-to-face interaction, and reduced time outdoors as possible factors. He describes social media as a poor substitute for real connection and recommends making room for nature and undistracted time.

Three Ways to Work With Anxiety

• Accept it: Treat some anxiety as a normal part of pursuing meaningful, challenging goals. Brooks suggests reminding yourself that you chose a life that may involve uncertainty and stress, rather than trying to eliminate every anxious feeling.
• Reframe it as adventure or excitement: Anxiety can be understood as “adrenaline in a negative context.” When appropriate, try viewing a stressful situation—such as a date or a new challenge—as an opportunity to learn, explore, or create a story, rather than only as a threat.
• Engage with what is worrying you: Instead of avoiding the source of anxiety, make it specific and actionable. For example:
  • List what could go wrong and what you would do in each case.
  • For an uncertain health result, write down the best-case, worst-case, and most likely scenarios, then consider what steps you would take.
  • Turn work, relationship, or world concerns into concrete next steps.

Brooks cautions that this does not mean seeking severe or uncontrollable anxiety. The goal is to make anxiety more manageable and potentially useful—not to deny that it can be painful.

Other Wellness and Productivity Ideas

• Use challenge to support focus: Brooks discusses research suggesting that moderate physiological arousal can help people enter a flow state—being absorbed in a challenging task without feeling overwhelmed.
• Spend less time on social media and screens: He argues that frequent checking and prolonged scrolling can crowd out reflection and meaningful connection.
• Get outdoors: Make time for fresh air and nature, even if that simply means putting down your phone and going for a walk.
• Protect sleep: Brooks emphasizes sleep as an important foundation for happiness and functioning.
• Adapt routines to your health: His own strict morning and evening habits are examples, not rules. He recommends creating a realistic routine, such as choosing an appropriate wake-up time, walking if possible, praying or meditating, and eating in a way that suits your health.
• Make room for boredom and daydreaming: Time without videos or scrolling can allow the mind to wander, which Brooks associates with creativity, imagination, and meaning.
• Cultivate enjoyment and meaning: In response to a viewer, he suggests adding enjoyable activities and nurturing spiritual or philosophical interests when pleasure or meaning feels scarce.

Presenter and Sources Mentioned

• Presenter: Arthur Brooks
• Named thinkers and researchers: Søren Kierkegaard; Scott Stossel; Jonathan Haidt; Jean Twenge; Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; Kevin Majors; Russo-Netzer.
• Organizations, publications, and research sources cited: Anxiety and Depression Association of America; American Psychological Association; JAMA Pediatrics; Depression and Anxiety; Journal of Experimental Social Psychology; Journal of Positive Psychology.
• Other attribution: A saying about sleep as the best medicine was attributed to the Dalai Lama.