Problem Solving Can Help Lessen Your Anxiety, According To Science

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If you have anxiety, you’re probably well aware of how unpredictable and debilitating it can be. And if left unchecked, it can hinder your productivity at work. So, what can you do about it? Researchers say: solve a problem.

Researchers from Duke University assessed brain scans of 120 participants to figure out which individuals were more anxiety-prone. They were able to distinguish those with anxiety from those without anxiety by observing the part of the brain that indicates high levels of stress. The scan lit up in that area if a person was more prone to anxiety.

Those with higher levels of anxiety were tasked with a fairly simple problem-solving task, a memory problem involving basic math, while researchers once again examined their brain activity.

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The result? Scans showed that the part of the brain indicating anxiety was less lit up among anxiety-prone participants while they were solving the problem. Basically, when the problem-solving area of the brain was activated, the anxiety part of the brain was inhibited, thus suggesting that active problem solving can lower levels of anxiety.

“These findings help reinforce a strategy whereby individuals may be able to improve their emotional functioning — their mood, their anxiety, their experience of depression — not only by directly addressing those phenomena, but also by indirectly improving their general cognitive functioning,” study co-author Ahmad Hariri, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke, said.

Maybe it’s time to break out the crossword puzzles or Sudoku when you’re experiencing anxiety. We’re definitely willing to give it a try. Hey, anything for a little peace of mind, right?