to accept that we all suffer sometimes find more room for you to separate from your battle with anxiety Through practicing the mindfulness strategies throughout each chapter be more easily able to bring your thoughts back to the here and now As you learn ways to observe and distance yourself even if only slightly from your anxious experiences you will be less overwhelmed and more able to experience joy and pleasure in your life now Habits and Neuroplasticity Struggling with anxiety can be so demoralizing that we give up Similar to traits like height or eye color people who struggle with anxiety can start to believe that they were born anxious and nothing they can do about it However the reality is that changes in our environment along with learning new skills have a significant impact on anxiety and can lessen anxious symptoms over time Neuroscience shows that neuronal growth and structural changes in the brain occur as the result of new experiences and also as the result of how you think and behave A example of this would be if you decided you wanted to change your habit of snacking right before bed Perhaps eaten chips or crackers before