Balancing life sometimes feels like running a marathon — literally and emotionally.
As a long-distance runner, I’ve learned to push through discomfort on the road. But real life often feels like a different kind of endurance race — juggling a full-time job coding complex systems, being a father of two, caring for my mother’s treatment, managing a home, and trying to find peace in a not-so-easy family environment.
In all this, anxiety silently builds up — even when things seem fine on the outside.
Recently, I picked up “Rewire Your Anxious Brain” by Nick Trenton, and it has been quietly transformative. What struck me most was how practical and compassionate the book is. It doesn’t promise instant calm but gives you tools to understand your mind — especially how thoughts and emotions feed anxiety.
One technique that resonated with me was the ABCDE method:
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A – Adversity: Identify what triggered your anxiety.
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B – Belief: Recognize what you’re telling yourself about it.
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C – Consequence: Notice how that belief makes you feel.
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D – Disputation: Challenge that belief with facts and reason.
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E – Energization: Feel the relief and empowerment of a new perspective.
Using this framework, I started writing down my thoughts whenever I felt anxious — about family issues, work stress, or marathon training fatigue. Slowly, I noticed that penning things down gave structure to chaos. Instead of spiraling, I began to respond rather than react.
It reminded me that emotional resilience isn’t about being fearless — it’s about being aware and learning to pause before letting emotions take over.
Running marathons taught me physical endurance. Books like Rewire Your Anxious Brain are teaching me mental endurance.
To anyone who feels overwhelmed balancing work, family, and personal goals — this book might help you slow down, understand your emotions, and find your own rhythm again.
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