Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind

Humans are inherently wired to form habits, as it helps us cement learning and makes us more efficient, freeing up other brain space to learn new things rather than concentrating on the minutiae of daily life. Of course, this can result in harmful habits that are incredibly difficult to break. The author identifies several classic anti-habit strategies that often result in failure. The first is relying totally on willpower. While this works for a minority of people in the short-term, it typically doesn’t last. Brewer claims that this strategy relies too much on engaging the prefrontal cortex, the youngest and weakest part of our brains, which is less active when we are anxious.

Another short-lived strategy is substitution. For instance, if someone craves a cigarette they have a candy instead, allowing themselves to get a reward, but one that is comparatively less harmful. Brewer is dubious about this strategy, since the habit loop stays perfectly intact. The final misguided strategy is the primed environment. By arranging one’s environment to minimize cravings, people can avoid falling into their bad habits. For example, someone addicted to sugar could choose to not buy any sweets, therefore avoiding temptation at home. Brewer acknowledges that people with healthy lifestyles tend to use this strategy but worries that it will be ineffective for people with ongoing addictions, who need to establish new healthy habits for the strategy to work. Moreover, it is unclear how this strategy would apply to dealing with general anxiety.

The author speaks highly of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s mindfulness program, which emphasizes awareness and curiosity. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction encourages people to be curious about their own physical and psychological reactions in times of discomfort and stress, coaching them to closely observe how they are feeling without making judgments or taking action. This allows them to “ride out” their cravings. Brewer connects mindfulness with the “growth mindset,” which allows people to be open to personal growth and believe that it is possible.

Brewer concedes that he, too, is in the habit of focusing too much on willpower and taking action. He loves the saying, “Don’t just do something, sit there,” because this “powerful paradox” reminds him to stay present and observe what is happening, which in his opinion is the most effective way to deal with difficult situations (72).

Brewer relays the story of Dave, a patient who sought help with anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and overeating. Dave had begun to experience panic attacks during daily life, such as driving down the highway or eating out at restaurants. Dealing with this ever-present anxiety caused him to seek comfort in food. This worsened his problems by creating more health issues. Dave agreed that his trigger was anxious feelings, which prompted him to pursue avoidance or distractions, like eating, which gave him the short-term result of feeling happy for a little while. Even though these results were short-lived, and Dave knew his behavior had a negative long-term effect on his life, they played a powerful role in cementing his habits—and anxiety. The author reveals that in his first sessions with Dave, he simply encouraged him to become aware of his habit loops and map them out. Cultivating awareness is free and accessible to anyone, and many people can practice it at home on their own without the help of a psychiatrist.

The author laments that many people wrongly create a causal connection between their anxiety and their success, believing that their anxious feelings motivate them and fuel their best work. Brewer encourages the reader to think skeptically about this romanticization of their anxiety and consider how they could have achieved the same success without all of the stress. The author notes that many people overanalyze their triggers, trying to understand each of the many facets and trace each one back to a childhood event. This is not necessary or helpful; identifying triggers is the least important part of the habit loop mapping, since “knowing why something became a habit isn’t going to magically fix it in the present moment” (82).

Brewer contrasts the heightened awareness of mindfulness with the brain’s unthinking “autopilot” system. Mindfulness is effective because it allows us to disrupt our entrenched habits, which our “caveman brains” run without us even realizing it (83). People often confuse meditation and mindfulness; in reality, meditation is simply one aspect of mindfulness and is not necessary for habit-breaking. Mindfulness is not trying to “relax,” or “empty” the mind, but rather is becoming aware of one’s own thoughts in a nonjudgmental way. This allows people to change their relationship with their own thought patterns.

The brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN) is devoted to supporting automatic behaviors. Brain scans reveal that this region is activated when addicts are shown picture cues of their habitual behavior, such as showing drugs to a drug addict. The DMN also plays a role in repeated thoughts, entrenching rumination into people’s minds. Ruminative thoughts are a key aspect of anxiety and depression. The author claims that the brain is wired to recycle these thoughts and moods because they are so familiar. This can make it difficult for people to separate themselves from their thoughts and feelings, as their chronic anxiety feels like a part of their identity.

Mindfulness and meditation are scientifically proven to interrupt the ruminative thought patterns in the Default Mode Network. For this reason, mindfulness is becoming incorporated into treatment plans for depression. The author encourages the reader to practice mindfulness in their own work with their habit loops and consider which habitual cravings or thoughts seem to arise the most.

Like other animals, our brains are wired to avoid or confront danger, while pursuing pleasure and safety. People react to danger in three main ways: fighting it, fleeing it, or simply freezing. Brewer explains that these tendencies have been observed and discussed throughout history. His team discovered a 5th-century meditation manual that offered sound descriptions of different basic personality types, which Brewer notes actually correspond with classic fear reactions. The first type is the “approach” type. These people are more confident and are more likely to fight off a threat. Brewer characterizes them as passionate, optimistic extroverts. The second type is the “avoid” type, who are more likely to flee from a threat. These people tend to be logical, tidy, critical, and perfectionistic. Finally, the “freeze” type neither approaches or avoids, but is more willing to go with the flow, with a tendency to daydream and think philosophically.

The author provides the reader with a quiz so they can determine which group they fit into. Understanding their basic traits helps people to identify how their personalities play a role in their habit formation. For example, the approach type might embrace too much of a good thing, while avoidant personalities are drawn to negative judgment, and the freeze types may find it difficult to assert their own needs. Brewer coaches the reader to use their understanding of their behavioral tendencies to reflect on their reactions, thought patterns, and habits.