100 Ways to Worry
Lauren Elizabeth Lee
Today’s millennials have the same amount of anxiety as psychiatric patients in the 1960s. One of every five Americans suffers a form of anxiety. Because the meaning of anxiety varies from person to person, there is no universal cure. Neurology proves that positive thinking is a powerful, long-term solution to anxiety, more effective than medication. Learning to think positively is like learning a new language or training a muscle, it requires daily practice. 100 Ways to Worry is a tool to exercise small reminders of positivity each day. Participants submit one worry and one affirmation, which is then designed on a double-sided card. Their designs will be mailed back to them as well as archived for a widespread audience. This intimate exchange brings therapeutic release and facilitates the feeling of a community undergoing the same dilemma. The takeaway is: we must remind ourselves that there are reasons to review sensations of joy and security every day. My hope is to lift the heavy hearts of at least one hundred people, even if it’s just a little bit.