Anxiety: A Weird Heat Companion

In many cases, anxiety can resemble stress, a previously covered topic. It can give that same unpleasant sensation where something is wrong. Unlike stress, though, it may not be possible to point at the direct cause. While stress may be something we can fix, anxiety might be the opposite. Instead, we may be subject to anxiety without a direct causation, making it all the harder to return to normalcy. In a way, stress seems more measurable, while the mass of anxiety is beyond such evaluation.

It is difficult to describe the two conditions, because everyone responds to them differently--and with different levels of severity. As a result, I can really only think through my own experiences. When I’m anxious, I tend to associate it with some overarching cloud of dread. Something is just not right yet I cannot point exactly at what is so troubling. Often when I question what has me feeling down, I really have to think what is at work on my mind. I think this is partly due to the fact that it takes a combination of events working together to make me anxious. For those extra-sensitive to anxiety, a multitude of simultaneous events could lead to panic attacks.

Another difference between anxiety and stress--for me, at least--is when the events are occurring. If I am nervous about something that is yet to happen, I think of this as stress. Also in such situations, I am typically pointing at one event (in the future) that is adding stress. For anxiety, I find it was things in the past working together to make me anxious. For example, I did not get as much work done as I wanted PLUS that social interaction did not go well PLUS I wish I had more time to complete that activity. As events snowball, anxiety builds.

If, as I see it, anxiety is caused by things in my recent past, then that should mean they are not possible to change. They have already happened, so I cannot undo them. I think this is what causes anxiety to take over. While stresses are things we can relieve by preparing to deal with them, anxiety is something we have to deal with as it has passed. Sure, we can work to improve the situations that may have led to the anxiety in the first place, but we cannot eliminate it fully. We can only get through it over time.

Unfortunately, not everyone processes anxiety as easily over time. I consider myself lucky that I am not susceptible to panic attacks and do not have to take added precautions dealing with anxiety. For the same reason, I would never begrudge someone who did have to take such actions. Every mind is complex, and anxiety has an impact on each one.

Thanksgiving: A Weird Heat Companion

Thanksgiving is in an odd position on the calendar. Wedged between the marketable Halloween and the impending Christmas, Thanksgiving can be overlooked during what we call the overarching “holiday season.” It is an integral part of the season, however, one of the three pillars along with the aforementioned holidays.

I appreciate that through the years, Thanksgiving has not lost its core theme: actually being thankful. While we have pilgrim mascots sitting around a table the day of and commercialism (literally) busting down doors the day after, we nevertheless associate this holiday in particular with food and family. This puts us in a position to naturally look around and appreciate what we have. Even if we do not actively think of “giving thanks,” the feeling of love and gratitude is all but inevitable.

Thanksgiving certainly engenders great memories. Arguably, the holiday produces more feelings than any holiday save Christmas. For me, it serves to recall immediately past Thanksgivings sitting and eating with family. In fact, this time of year makes up some of my earliest memories, which is probably true for many people who celebrate it.

Of course, I have the added pleasure of watching my favorite professional football team, the Detroit Lions, play on this day every year. While everyone else in the country simply looks forward to football, through this weird tradition, I am guaranteed to see my own team. Granted, this pleasure turns into disappointment more often than not, but it is still something I anticipate each season.

One part of Thanksgiving I don’t think I have ever experienced is the common trope of family arguments around the table. Perhaps my family is more even-keeled, or perhaps we avoid conflict. Whatever the case, I am glad to not have this added dread. The holidays are stressful enough.

Of the three consecutive holidays--Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas--a person could make a case that any is their favorite. Even if you are not in a country that celebrates it, I hope everyone has at least something to be thankful for and a Happy Thanksgiving.

Money: A Weird Heat Companion

In many ways, money is the backbone of society. It influences everything: where we live, why we work, how we relax. Money is also necessary to live. Without money, we cannot eat or drink, travel to and from work, or occupy a home, much less enjoy recreation. Nearly every decision we make eventually comes back to its financial worth. We make sacrifices--unwanted jobs, modest homes--simply because they are affordable. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Conversely, money is called “the root of all evil.” Because it influences so much in our daily lives, the desire for more can easily corrupt our decision-making abilities. When we get some, we only want more. This is greed. The very crux of the capitalist argument is to do what is right for oneself first and foremost. By achieving that security, we would theoretically hurt others to benefit ourselves. Money can also lead to jealousy when someone else earns more. This gap can sever relationships. So by definition, money is a necessary evil. Necessary because it allows us to live, evil because it can drive us apart.

When I was in college, I arrived at a sensible idea of using money through the advice of a friend. His thinking was to use money first to take care of necessities (of course), save emergency funds as needed (again, of course), but then to live comfortably and happily with the leftover. This sounds overtly obvious, and it is. If we make decisions on where to work based solely on the fact that we make more money, how happy can we expect to be? And if we opt to not attend a fun event because it costs money, how much happier is that extra $100 in our bank account? This attitude was new to me, but I grew to like it.

Making decisions following this method takes the importance out of money, not letting it run your life. I would never advocate spending the entirety of one’s paycheck on something frivolous or living outside of one’s means; rather, I would recommend people stop turning money into a priority. It should be the means to enjoying life, not the goal of it. Sure, money may be the root of all evil, but only if we let it.

I realize this sounds, at the very least, more than a little privileged. Not everyone has the luxury of having masses of extra money lying around. I certainly don’t. But I have come to realize money is no key to happiness. Instead, it is quite the opposite. If we can take money off its pedestal, by turning it into a tool rather than a goal, we can improve any facet of our lives.