Anticipatory anxiety can be a symptom of generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, or panic disorder, but people without a formal diagnosis experience it, too – especially right now. In a March 2021 survey by the American Psychological Association, 50% of participants reported experiencing anxiety in the pandemic’s re-entry phase. Some level of anxiety is good for you, and it will motivate you to work hard and prepare you if something goes wrong. Too much of that hypervigilance will cause you to have avoidance, though. Uncertainty or unpredictability does not let you plan well and forces you to make wrong decisions. A more straightforward strategy involves encouraging patients to spend less time worrying about what might come and instead to focus on life in the present. Complete absorption in the present moment prevents anxiety about the future. One path toward reducing anxiety might involve transitioning “from inaccurate expectations to more accurate expectations to no expectations at all .”The incorporation of mindfulness traditions into CBT – namely, emphasizing awareness of moment-to-moment internal and external events, and non-judgmental acceptance (rather than avoidance) of negative emotional states – allows one to tolerate unavoidable uncertainties and help those suffering from anxiety to understand that uncertainty about the future need not rule their lives. You may sign up for this course and My Anxiety Plan (MAP) apps.
Role of Anticipatory anxiety in the time of Uncertainty