Dr. Martha Beck

My answer to that is if you were in a horrible car accident, God forbid, and you had many injuries, would you want the surgeons working on you to be in a state of panic or calm creativity? The only way we're going to fix the problems we've made with our fear-based behavior, the only way to solve problems this big is to access the incredible capacity of human creativity.

I believe we can do that as individuals and as a species.

I believe we can do that as individuals and as a species.

It's so easy. It's so amazingly easy. Now, your brain naturally goes toward anxiety because of something called the negativity bias. And I always think of it as 15 puppies and a cobra. If I gave you a box and it had 15 puppies and a cobra in it, what would catch your attention? The snake. And that's because in evolutionary terms, paying attention to the snake is a good idea.

It's so easy. It's so amazingly easy. Now, your brain naturally goes toward anxiety because of something called the negativity bias. And I always think of it as 15 puppies and a cobra. If I gave you a box and it had 15 puppies and a cobra in it, what would catch your attention? The snake. And that's because in evolutionary terms, paying attention to the snake is a good idea.

But we have such a strong negativity bias in our culture, and we have very little to pull us back into communion with oneness. We don't have nature around us anymore. So we have to do that. We can trick our brains into doing that. And if you want to play a little with this. Sure. Okay.

But we have such a strong negativity bias in our culture, and we have very little to pull us back into communion with oneness. We don't have nature around us anymore. So we have to do that. We can trick our brains into doing that. And if you want to play a little with this. Sure. Okay.

First, I want you to think of something that makes you feel a bit anxious. Maybe not panicky, but anxious. Something you're willing to, like, tell us what it is.

First, I want you to think of something that makes you feel a bit anxious. Maybe not panicky, but anxious. Something you're willing to, like, tell us what it is.

Okay, I think there will be many people out there who know what this feels like. You are describing a tiny domestic nightmare that many of us feel. So think about that. Think about what that feels like and just notice what it does to your body and to your emotions.

Okay, I think there will be many people out there who know what this feels like. You are describing a tiny domestic nightmare that many of us feel. So think about that. Think about what that feels like and just notice what it does to your body and to your emotions.

What's happening in your body if you're in that situation with your partner?

What's happening in your body if you're in that situation with your partner?

So you've gone to a fight-or-flight nervous system, arousal state. Okay, uh-uh, something's wrong.

So you've gone to a fight-or-flight nervous system, arousal state. Okay, uh-uh, something's wrong.

Yeah, I'm very focused and I'm very, like, I'm anxious, but I'm also a little bit snappish because I'm fleeing on one side. I need to get out of this situation immediately. But I'm fighting on the other side. Tell me what's wrong. So you've got a full fight or flight thing happening. So you can get into that by imagining the situation. Now I want you to imagine something else very vividly.

Yeah, I'm very focused and I'm very, like, I'm anxious, but I'm also a little bit snappish because I'm fleeing on one side. I need to get out of this situation immediately. But I'm fighting on the other side. Tell me what's wrong. So you've got a full fight or flight thing happening. So you can get into that by imagining the situation. Now I want you to imagine something else very vividly.

And it would probably help if you close your eyes. Have you ever eaten an orange?

And it would probably help if you close your eyes. Have you ever eaten an orange?

All right. So imagine that you are holding an orange. It's a nice, ripe, heavy, delicious orange at the peak of its ripeness. I can tell you've already smelled it. So you can smell the citrus. You just take a bite of it to break the seal of the peeling and just feel that little spray of citric acid that It pops up when you bite the peel and then the bitterness of the rind.