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Anxiety and Depression are Helpful in Small Doses

In moderate amounts, anxiety and depression can improve our focus and performance. That doesn’t mean that depression and anxiety are always useful. In large doses, they are debilitating. However, one of the most important truths about our minds is this: we don’t always have to obey them.

Today we’re sharing and excerpt from the audiobook The User’s Guide to the Human Mind: Why Our Brains Make Us Unhappy, Anxious, and Neurotic and What We Can Do about It, written by clinical psychologist and popular blogger, Dr. Shawn Smith. The User’s Guide to the Human Mind is a road map to the puzzling workings of the human mind. It’s filled with practical techniques for overriding the mind’s natural impulses toward worry, self-criticism, and fear. It also offers many helpful tips for acting in ways that support your values and emotional well-being—even when your mind has other plans.

What’s in this episode?

In this episode, you’ll learn about the fascinating biology behind anxiety and depression, which Dr. Smith calls “ancient tools”—tools that aren’t well-suited for modern times. You’ll learn that while anxiety and depression can often be debilitating, in small doses, these seemingly negative feelings can actually help you excel.