Serenity's Antithesis: Anxiety's Counterpart

Serenity's Counterpart: Unraveling Anxiety's Opposite

In a heartwarming story of resilience and self-discovery, Renee, an 8-year-old girl, found herself facing a common challenge many children experience: anxiety. Renee was the same age as Suchin and Lucky, the 8-year-old sons of the speaker's parents' friends visiting from India.

Renee's father, noticing her unease, offered words of encouragement, saying, "Trust yourself, Renee. You got this." However, Renee's self-doubt was strong, fuelled by thoughts that were far from reality. She questioned whether Suchin and Lucky would laugh at her, ignore her, or find her silly.

These thoughts, common in anxious individuals, are temporary and often inaccurate. They are a hallmark of anxiety, causing physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shallow breath, and sweaty palms. From a physiological perspective, the opposite of anxiety might be a small amount of courage.

Renee's father tried to help her overcome her anxiety by suggesting a small amount of courage. He encouraged her to ask Suchin and Lucky to play. Renee, still feeling anxious, pretended to be occupied with a Lego castle to avoid talking to them.

However, Renee's core strengths, including her humour and charm, which are highly valued in social situations, eventually helped her overcome her fear. She mustered up the courage to ask Suchin and Lucky to play, using mostly hand gestures. To her relief, they agreed, and the two became good friends and remain close to this day.

Interestingly, there is a website, www.gozen.com, that focuses on treating anxiety in children using animated illustrations. Unfortunately, the search results do not provide information about the organization that founded this website. An engaging animation to help anxious children can be found at www.gozen.com.

It's important to remember that the opposite of anxiety is not courage or peace, but trust: trust in core strengths, resilience, the process, and even in the discomfort of anxious emotions to deliver important messages. The opposite of the fight-or-flight response is the rest-and-digest mode or the feeling of peace.

Renee's story serves as a reminder that with trust and a little courage, we can face our fears and find friendship, growth, and self-discovery.