Developing resilience in the anxiety age: How changing perspective can overcome daily obstacles

Illustration: TBS

According to a report published by the WHO, approximately 301 million people suffer from anxiety disorder globally. Understandably, the 21st century has established itself as the "Age of Anxiety" due to a continuous stream of alarming news, comparison of lifestyle on social media, and perfectionist expectations mounting high. 

It becomes even more challenging when we let anxiety get in the way of facing the obstacles that prevent us from improving ourselves and being happy. Resilience, on the other hand, is our ability to come back from stressors and adapt to change or setbacks; this is where we can make a real, positive impact. We grow that resilience by changing our paradigm, but this will be just wasted talk.

Our minds constantly gravitate towards negativity due to the results of evolution. Even though this particular bias previously helped us to stay aware or alert to threats, now it often leads us to an overwhelming feeling of danger and a tendency to focus only on the things that are going wrong. 

We ruminate over the past, second-guess decisions, and hyper-focus on our shortcomings. This negative self-talk plagues us, enabling an anxiety loop that can sometimes completely paralyse us in the face of adversity.

A more adaptable and optimistic view transforms this negative bias into a remedy. This transformation does not imply that issues should be swept under the rug or undermined. Rather, it puts issues in a new light and views problems as opportunities for growth and learning. For instance, let's think about a missed deadline. Our initial thoughts might be of guilt or anger, but shifting the perspective allows us to think more clearly and get to the root cause. 

Did it reveal issues with our time management? Unexpected events? If we identify the problem, we can make plans to prevent similar events from happening again. This helps create a feeling of movement and structure to help decrease future worries.

As per an article in The Business Standard, the "Burnt-Toast Theory" serves as one of the easiest ways to nurture and grow a growth mindset. It views life in a positive light. Say you have accidentally burned your toast; your first emotion will be annoyance. This is what a fixed mindset perceives as evidence of everything being over for you. The Burnt-Toast Theory turns that on its head. It implies that as small as this deviance may be, good intentions are still brewing to course-correct. 

The time it takes to make fresh toast might be the very thing that keeps you from missing a critical bus transfer, or missing an opportunity could mean that a better one is coming your way. This cultivates a growth mindset by reminding us that challenges can come with unexpected benefits and that improvement always involves change.

Furthermore, cultivating gratitude has a major positive impact on our resilience. We usually take all of life's blessings for granted in a society that is obsessed with achievement. We can shift our focus from the things we lack and pivot our consciousness to the present by taking a moment to appreciate the wonderful things in life, such as good health, dependable friends and family, or having a roof over our heads. 

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the development of gratitude not only uplifts and cheers our attitude but also helps compartmentalise when stressful situations arise.

According to American psychologist Carol Dweck, improving or adopting a growth mindset is another dynamic approach for boosting resilience. We might nourish our abilities with hard work and determination rather than having them anchored. Individuals with a glass-half-full mentality view constraints as possibilities to improve and move forward. They have faith in their ability to progress, so they view obstacles as hurdles to continue moving forward. 

On the other hand, individuals with an anchored mindset see difficulties as a sign of their innate inadequacy, leading to demotivation and a sense of powerlessness. Embracing a growth mindset allows us to approach challenges with hope and a readiness to acquire knowledge, ultimately nurturing our resilience.

Consistent focus on self-care is legitimately required to make us more resilient. This sense of always being barely able to hold it all down leaves us even more open to worry when adversity strikes, resulting in some combination of mental and physical fatigue that makes every option seem like the wrong one. 

It is also important to engage in relaxation and wellness activities such as meditation, working out, a hobby, or spending time in nature. Other times, you need to take a step back to gain perspective. Looking inward establishes a solid ground upon which to greet anxiety—all that is or might be.

The Age of Anxiety is not a declaration. If we were to intentionally shift our mindset to become more resilient and also face adversity, this would allow us to deal with these challenges on a day-to-day basis. If we recognise our negativity, practice gratitude, find a way to develop or learn to be content otherwise, and work on building supportive social circles that surround us with other growth-oriented people, we can better thrive in the complexities of modern life as most carefree folks do while avoiding the roadblocks to well-being along the way. 

Rather than caving into our anxieties, let's learn to harness them as fuel to grow more robust. Through a conscious effort to change our perspective, we can navigate our emotional landscape and thrive not despite the age's anxieties but precisely because of them.

Dr Syed Far Abid Hossain is an Assistant Professor at BRAC Business School, BRAC University, Dhaka. Email: syed.farabid@bracu.ac.bd.

Tahsin Raysha Mallik is a student at BRAC Business School, BRAC University

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.