We All Create Our Anxiety Eco-Systems to Cope with Life

I was telling Jonny how stupid I feel creating so many anxieties over my watch rotation, trying to decide on a watch for the day. Jonny wrote:

Maybe the watch rotation is in some sense a pressure valve release: you create a miniature "anxiety eco-system" and because its more manageable than, well, Real Life, it's a way to cope on a smaller scale, which might even help you with the rest of life (I don't know). In other words, Watch Rotation Anxiety (WRA) is easier to cope with than the trials and tribulations of marriage, children,  xistential angst, etc. 

 

The question, though, is whether its a good outlet, or whether it prevents one from dealing with those things more fully. I honestly don't know - maybe both.

 

 

 

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Comments

[Angelo]

This is a fascinating topic. I think I give myself some grief----I mentioned those home improvement projects and dealing with those contractors is a serious source of anxiety----but it's contrived. I didn't HAVE TO do remodeling or add a room. It's like I did it deliberately, to have some stress to deal with----but why? To take my mind off other stress? I think about the Sopranos----and how Tony often focused on things like his daughter's field hockey team/the coach (I think it was field hockey---or lacrosse?). He'd be fixated on things like that while taking his focus off his marriage for example.

[jonnybardo]

I think that's right, Angelo. Part of it is trying to avoid the "real stuff," but at the same time, paradoxically, its trying to work out the underlying dynamics of the bigger issues in a smaller, safer context.

RIP James Gandolfini.

On a related note, I love Nurse Jackie - Edie Falco is a great actress.