128 Don’t Let A nxiety Run Your Life
PROBLEM SOLV ING
Problem solving as a response to your emotions, such as
devising solutions or planning a course of action, represents
a conscious effort to change a difficult situation or contain
its consequences (in other words, perform damage control).
Problem solving benefits your emotions by modifying or
eliminating stressors, which, in turn, reduces emotional
reactivity. For instance, imagine that you have become
anxious and stressed about work, so much so that you dread
going to work each day. Rather than thinking that your neg-
ative emotional response to work is the problem, it would be
better to identify the problem (for example, a colleague is
trying to sabotage your work, or your boss is too demand-
ing) and address it by generating solutions and taking the
most appropriate course of action.
ACCEPTANCE
Acceptance, as an emotion regulation strategy, dictates
that you fully acknowledge, appreciate, endorse, and support
your current reality (Hayes 2004). For example, think about
your current job. By going to work each day, you are demon-
strating acceptance of your current position in life. One day
in the future you may dream of having a higher- paying job
with more responsibility and authority, but right now, there
are likely advantages to your current job and how it fits into
your life. Although it may not be perfect in every way, you
still accept it as your current reality and without resistance.
Perhaps you will apply for a new job tomorrow, or next week,
or even a year from now, but while you are in your current
job, you still accept it as part of your life.