Stop Anxiety by Adjusting Expectations

Anxiety is often caused by our own expectations. For example, we may expect a road to be smooth, but driving into a pothole may cause great anxiety. The anxiety is caused by the expectation of a good road when it doesn't fit the facts.

To overcome unrealistic expectations, we can adjust old expectations for new information.

We prefer to hold on to old experiences. It helps us make sense of the world: It protects us from touching a fire or eating poison berries. But when the expectations cause anxiety, we can adjust them.

If you get what you expect, your brain releases a bit of dopamine and moves on. If it conflicts, cortisol is released, which motivates us to pay more attention, but it also fuels anxiety.