Action: Your Antidote to Anxiety and Other Ills
Issue 2839 — February 24, 2025
Madeleine moved to a new state with her husband who got a great job there, but she felt the loss of grounding without family and friends and the stimulation of a large city. She approached me to volunteer for Take The Lead and we began to work on a plan.
“I’m feeling alive again,” she said.
In our fast-paced, often overwhelming world, anxiety, fear, and depression can creep in like shadows at dusk — persistent, heavy, and seemingly insurmountable. Yet, hidden in the very act of taking a step forward is a powerful remedy. Action, even in its smallest form, can serve as the antidote to these pervasive feelings.
Many people express anxiety and fear about the state of country or the economy. But the principle that action is the antidote isn’t partisan or limited to any one issue. It applies to any situation in which someone is feeling down.
And if you are a leader of any kind, or a parent, you know that how you cope affects not just you but also others around you.
A Spark to Dispel the Darkness
When I awaken with the weight of the world pressing on me, I find that a floor exercise routine I invented to limber up my creaky morning body, followed by an hour of brisk walking, preferably outdoors regardless of weather, creates a spark — a light that banishes whatever anxiety, fear, or worry made me want to stay in bed with the covers over my head.
Each step breathes in positivity and transforms anxiety into belief that the day will be a good one.
When we choose to act, when we decide to step out of the darkness, we literally begin to reclaim our lives. It might start with a modest walk, a simple conversation, or finding a new purpose, but these actions accumulate into a force strong enough to challenge even the deepest funk.
Important Caveat
While action is a powerful tool, it isn’t a magic cure-all. For example, those grappling with severe clinical depression might find that the internal fog is so thick that the call to “just do something” isn’t enough. In such cases, professional help — whether therapy, medication, or both — is vital. Acknowledging this isn’t a defeat; it’s a reminder that sometimes our battles require a combination of personal strength and external support.
Science Speaks: Three Kinds of Action as Medicine
Research backs up what our instincts tell us: action heals. Consider these three compelling ways:
Start with physical exercise.
According to the Mayo Clinic article, “Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms,” regular exercise even when you don’t feel like it releases “feel good” endorphins, chemicals in the brain that can lift your spirits. It can also focus your mind on something other than your worries so you cope with your worries in a healthy way. I know it works for me, and the bonus? It jet fuels my energy to meet the day.Get involved in something meaningful to you. According to the American Psychiatric Association blog report entitled “Purpose in Life Can Lead to Less Stress, Better Mental Wellbeing,” research demonstrates that actively engaging in meaningful tasks curbs anxiety. Perhaps it’s exercising your creative chops by renewing a musical practice or picking up that paintbrush you put away years ago. For me, cooking and feeding people is that kind of creative outlet.
When you feel you are making a positive mark on the world, you gain confidence and feel better about yourself. This builds resilience so you’re better able to manage stress. I’ve found it’s never the stress that gets me down, it’s how I react to it; whether I take its energy and consciously use it for positive purpose or whether I wallow in worry about it.
This also applies to taking action for a cause you believe in. One of my mentors taught me and I find it is always true: “ The fastest route to self esteem is to stand up for what you believe.”
Getting involved in something meaningful to you can measurably elevate your energy and sense of well being.
Engage socially with family, friends, and your community. This fosters a sense of purpose and belonging, key factors in combating isolation and as a result uplifting our moods. From PubMed Central comes a finding that enhancing social connectedness can reduce anxiety and depression by enhancing positive emotions and decreasing negative emotions.
The award-winning actor, Kathleen Turner, has been volunteering for City Meals on Wheels for decades. It often surprises people that she often delivered meals herself. She said to me that she believes everyone can provide some kind of community service. What kind of volunteer activities are most emotionally rewarding and available to you? Is it animals? Feeding the hungry?
“Mayor Michael Bloomberg and actress Kathleen Turner help distribute Thanksgiving lunch for elderly New Yorkers inside Peter Cardella Senior Center in Ridgewood, Queens.” Anthony DelMundo for New York Daily News
“Mayor Michael Bloomberg and actress Kathleen Turner help distribute Thanksgiving lunch for elderly New Yorkers inside Peter Cardella Senior Center in Ridgewood, Queens.” Anthony DelMundo for New York Daily News
Maybe you want to run for office. Maybe you get involved in a campaign. Maybe you join in grassroots organizing with your neighbors and friends who care about an issue.
Maybe you start a virtual book club or join a group at your place of worship. Are you a foodie? Organize a monthly dinner at a new restaurant and invite other people to join you. Get creative. There are so many ways to foster your engagement with others, and believe me if you take the lead, they will appreciate you.
For me, knowing that I spend every day with Take The Lead lifting women up and advancing women’s parity in pay, power, and leadership positions is more than enough to feed my soul and keep me positive.
These examples highlight a simple yet profound truth: action interrupts the cycle of negativity. When we do something — anything — it sets off a chain reaction that can lift us up from depression and anxiety.
Choose Action.
Lace up your sneakers, pick up that paintbrush, call a friend, or step up like Madeleine did to volunteer for a cause that stokes your passion and makes you feel alive.
Every step, no matter how small, is a stand against the creeping grip of anxiety, fear, and depression. Action is the spark that can ignite a revolution within, transforming despair into a journey of hope, resilience, and renewal.
GLORIA FELDT is the Cofounder and President of Take The Lead, a motivational speaker, a global expert in women’s leadership development and DEI for individuals and companies that want to build gender balance. She is a bestselling author of five books, most recently Intentioning: Sex, Power, Pandemics, and How Women Will Take The Lead for (Everyone’s) Good. Honored as Forbes 50 Over 50, and Former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, she is a frequent media commentator. Learn more at www.gloriafeldt.com and www.taketheleadwomen.com. Find her @GloriaFeldt on all social media.