Page 98 - Advance Copy: Todd Kaufman, Author

TODD KAUFMAN
where there was nothing left but a picked over veggie tray, and she’d likely exclaim: “Perfect! I love vegetarianism. And this is sooooo good for me!” Yeah, I know. And take a breath, because I’m not suggesting you are going to become Julia!
That being said, there is a lot to be enjoyed and admired about a brain that, even in the face of a drought, sees the cup as half full. (I think my Dad would have said one better: “It’s halfway to a new beer!”)
The Negative Evolutionary Bias (NEB) we spoke about early in this book programs us to be exactly the opposite of grateful. In a drought (and as a general default), we naturally see the glass as half empty. Our survival may be contingent upon our decisions when the glass is ultimately empty, and our ability to prevent it from becoming empty, so our NEB ensures we get busy figuring out plans to survive this worst case scenario.
Gratitude Therapy is designed to rewire those neurons to notice the things in life that bring you feelings of joy and pleasure. There is not a whole lot of hope for feelings of anxiety spinning in your brain when you are feeling joy!
The endgame here is to build neuronal connections that notice Gratitude, the same way you would build the muscles in your pitching arm if you wanted to be a professional baseball pitcher. The more moments you are present noticing things you are grateful for, the fewer moments you spend dragging those Fictional Events Appearing Real from the future to trash the present moment.
There is an entire book to be written on Gratitude Therapy, and many therapists have made entire careers out of various forms of this therapy. I offer it to you as a necessary part of End Panic Attacks and Manage Anxiety.
It begins with a simple little exercise that I would invite you to share with your partner, family or bestie. It’s simple, takes little time and can make a profound difference in your life, and in particular, in lowering your anxiety.
Go grab yourself a blank, lined notebook from a dollar
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