For those grappling with anxiety, conventional advice often centers on suppression – silencing the mind or altering brain chemistry. However, Owen O’Kane, a leading mental health expert, proposes a different strategy: embrace anxiety as a protective mechanism rather than an enemy. His approach isn’t about eliminating worry but reframing your relationship with it, starting with the body, not the brain. Here’s how to live well alongside an anxious mind, according to O’Kane.
The Paradox of Anxiety: It’s Trying to Help
Many treatments aim to “switch off” anxiety, but O’Kane argues this is fundamentally misguided. Anxiety isn’t a malfunction; it’s a survival instinct. When fear arises, it manifests physically – in your heart rate, tense muscles – signaling the body perceives a threat. The brain then reacts accordingly, often suppressing rational thought. Instead of fighting this, understand why it’s happening.
If you see anxiety as an adversary, it will behave like one. Suppressing it only delays the inevitable; it will resurface. The key is acceptance: anxiety exists, and attempting to eradicate it is unrealistic. The goal isn’t to get rid of it but to negotiate with it, understanding its intentions.
Body First: Regulating Physical Responses to Calm the Mind
Conventional psychiatry often focuses on cognitive restructuring—changing thoughts. O’Kane prioritizes the body. Anxiety presents physically before it manifests mentally. When the body enters alarm mode, the rational prefrontal cortex is suppressed.
The solution? Interrupt the physical response. This could involve deep breathing, exercise, cold exposure, or any method that regulates your nervous system. The point isn’t to eliminate anxiety, but to reset the body’s alarm signal, allowing the prefrontal cortex to regain control and enabling a more measured response.
Facing Uncertainty: The Root of Anxiety
Neuroscience shows we generate thousands of thoughts daily, many negative or fearful. In anxious states, these thoughts are often treated as factual, creating a self-reinforcing cycle.
The final step is to examine the reality of your fears. Track anxious spirals and assess how often they materialize. Most worries remain unfounded. Anxiety is often an intolerance of uncertainty. The world is inherently unpredictable, and resisting this truth only intensifies suffering.
The challenge lies in accepting imperfection, surrendering control, and allowing the inevitable chaos of life. This rewires the brain, creating neural pathways that foster comfort with uncertainty. Every time you shift your reaction to anxiety, you move closer to a more sustainable way of living with it.
Ultimately, O’Kane’s approach isn’t about curing anxiety; it’s about changing your relationship to it. By accepting its presence, regulating your body, and confronting your fears, you can live with anxiety, not in spite of it.
