What Can You Do When Anxiety Paralyzes You?

  Going blank before an exam, in a job interview, or if you’ve been a victim of a robbery is highly likely when you consider how the cognitive system works. Anxiety is a natural and universal defense mechanism that usually allows you to react adaptively when you perceive a threat that compromises your integrity. Its purpose is to mobilize your body and keep it alert in order to act appropriately. Aaron Beck, the father of cognitive psychology, described it as a fear reaction. However, what happens when anxiety exceeds certain limits? In this case, it can stop fulfilling its adaptive…