An Interesting Take on Anxiety

An Alternate Theory of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

So I am often curious about anxiety and always on the lookout for ways to manage mine. This article interested me for its rethinking of why people are anxious and worried, because it fits very well with some of my own experience.

In short, worry mediates emotional rollercoasters. Instead of shooting from happy to sad or fearful, etc, worry keeps you on a more or less even (anxious) keel and when something bad does happen, it feels like far less of a blow. I've noticed that tendency in myself to become more worried when I notice I feel happy and content. For a while it felt like a superstition - I can't be happy, something terrible will happen if I allow myself to be happy.

Turns out this is a somewhat common reaction. The swing from happy to horrified is too much, but the shift from already worried to disaster isn't so bad. It's the come-down that's the problem, not whatever precipitated the problem.

Run Down

Sorry about the whiny post earlier, but I find that it's helpful to be open about things that are causing me worry. Some people don't respond well but I have found that most people are actually pretty understanding if I'm just honest about "this is making me feel anxious."

Anyway. I've logged my 5k, 10k, and half marathon for the Virtual Dopey Challenge, and next weekend I'll be doing the full marathon. I know I'm supposed to do them all back to back, but the times don't count and everything is "unprecedented" anyway so what the hell, right? After I finish my full marathon, though, I'm going to be taking a few months off from running.

I don't intend to stop entirely, but I'd like to just take some time to rest up after spending most of 2020 running somewhat intensively, and I want to focus more or less exclusively on strength and weight training. I know my core strength could use work, and in general, resistance training is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I have probably mentioned this before, but I really don't want to wind up as a frail, sick old lady, and resistance training helps increase muscle mass, tone, and helps with bone strengthening. I'm also getting kind of mentally tired of running and I don't want to just get sick of it.

Plus my chin up bar should be here soon. Yeah, I finally get to work on chin ups, hangs, and leg lifts and stuff. :D I'm unreasonably happy about that.