How to stop feeling anxious about anxiety | Tim Box | TEDxFolkestone

Tim Box introduces himself and candidly discusses his personal experience with anxiety. He admits to feeling anxious about various aspects of his presentation, yet acknowledges that this anxiety is rational and understandable. Tim reflects on his past, where anxiety was debilitating to the point of avoiding social situations. He contrasts this with his current state, where he no longer suffers from anxiety, and credits this change to a shift in perspective rather than trying to eliminate it. Tim shares his professional experience working with others who suffer from anxiety, highlighting the common desire to be rid of it. He provocatively questions what a world without anxiety would look like, suggesting that anxiety serves a purpose in signaling the importance of certain aspects of our lives.

In this paragraph, Tim addresses the common approach to treating anxiety as a medical issue and the limitations this presents. He empathizes with doctors who are not mental health specialists and are restricted by time, knowledge, and resources when treating anxiety. Tim criticizes the reliance on medication, which he views as a temporary patch with potential side effects and the risk of dependency. He argues that a medical solution is not appropriate for a non-medical problem like anxiety, which he frames as an emotion, not an illness. Tim emphasizes that emotions, including anxiety, are vital parts of the human experience and that labeling anxiety as an illness only exacerbates the problem.

Tim offers an analogy to help understand emotional responses, likening the mind to a ship with a captain representing the logical, conscious part of thinking, and the crew symbolizing the subconscious, which controls automatic responses and emotions. He explains that anxiety is an emotion triggered by the subconscious in an attempt to guide us toward happiness and away from danger. Tim points out that the subconscious operates based on life experiences, which can sometimes lead to mistakes in judgment. He encourages the audience to view anxiety not as an enemy but as a misguided attempt by the subconscious to protect us, and to listen to what it is trying to communicate.

Tim outlines three steps he took to reduce his own anxiety. First, he stopped viewing himself as ill and recognized that anxiety is a response to specific triggers. Second, he began to listen to his subconscious, understanding that ignoring its messages only amplifies them. Third, he emphasizes the importance of being kind to oneself, as self-criticism can demoralize and lower self-esteem, leading to increased anxiety. Tim suggests that by treating oneself with kindness and positivity, one can empower the subconscious to work more effectively, thus reducing anxiety.

In the final paragraph, Tim discusses the importance of accepting anxiety as a natural part of life. He argues against the extremes of viewing anxiety as either a mental illness or something that can be easily dismissed. Tim shares his own continued experience with anxiety, using the example of feeling anxious about taking out the bins on dustbin day. He suggests that this level of anxiety is normal and not something to be feared. By accepting anxiety and treating it as a friend rather than an enemy, Tim believes that one can reduce the power it holds over us. He concludes by encouraging the audience to listen to their anxiety, as it may be trying to communicate something important.