#356: Anxiety, Explained | Luana Marques | Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

What It Covers

Clinical psychologist Luana Marques from Harvard Medical School explains how anxiety serves as a protective signal and how practicing discomfort builds resilience and growth.

Key Questions Answered

• •Anxiety reframing: Anxiety functions as a helpful signal that something needs attention, not an inherently negative emotion. The problem stems from our reactive narratives, not the emotion itself.
• •Comfortably uncomfortable practice: Growth requires deliberately practicing discomfort rather than avoiding it. Repeatedly exposing yourself to uncomfortable situations while affirming your safety builds capacity to handle challenging experiences over time.
• •Listening before solving: Before offering solutions to someone's problem, ask if they want advice or just need to be heard. Most people already know their solution and primarily need validation.