Resilience & Positivity: Cultivating a Mindset to Manage Anxiety - Video Transcript

Hey, everyone. I'm Kristen, the anxiety therapist. Today, I want to talk about the two-factor theory of emotion and social comparison and how they are related. These are concepts I was teaching about in my social psychology class, and it occurred to me that many of us can benefit from understanding how they impact anxiety.

To back up a little bit, the two-factor theory of emotion suggests that emotions result from both physiological arousal, such as a pounding heart, sweaty palms, or a pit in our stomach, and our cognitive appraisal of those internal feelings. It's how we interpret and label those internal experiences as specific emotions based on our thinking. For example, if you experience a pounding heart and sweaty palms in a dangerous situation, you would interpret it as fear. However, if you are about to engage in a thrilling activity like riding a roller coaster, you might interpret it as excitement.

How does this relate to social comparison theory? It suggests that we often evaluate ourselves and our abilities by comparing ourselves to others, either upward to those who seem to be doing better than us or downward to those who seem to be doing worse than us. This is not necessarily a conscious process, as it happens in our subconscious automatically. This relates to the two-factor theory because we interpret our physiological experiences and what they mean through this comparison.

For example, people with anxiety might engage in more negative social comparisons, leading to increased feelings of stress and worry. When we have anxiety, our automatic thoughts tend toward the negative side of the spectrum. For instance, someone with social anxiety might compare themselves to more outgoing or confident people, exacerbating their feelings of inadequacy or discomfort in social situations. Fear of failure can also cause people to avoid situations where they are more likely to perform poorly, reinforcing negative self-perceptions and potentially leading to worse anxiety symptoms.

So, what can you do about this? First, be intentional about exposing yourself to triggers and be aware of how you interpret and think about things. If you engage in a lot of comparisons, pay attention to what types tend to elicit anxiety or other distressing feelings. If you use social media, remember that posts are edited highlights, designed for attention. Expressing gratitude for the things we have and focusing on the positive can also help neutralize negative thoughts.

It's essential to set limits and boundaries around your social media use and interactions with people who make you feel worse about yourself. If you feel inferior or compare yourself to them, be aware of what's making you feel that way. Understanding how social comparison impacts anxiety can provide insight into your physiological experiences and improve your mental well-being.

If you have any questions or would like to work one-on-one, visit my website, catharticspacecounseling.com, where I have a high-functioning anxiety workbook for sale and offer a free 15-minute video consultation. Thanks for listening, and have a great week!