How a Car Dashboard Can Help Us Better Understand Anxiety

When it comes to understanding anxiety, it's helpful to consider a car dashboard.

A dashboard contains many lights and dials and is responsible for alerting the driver to the car's functional health. Much like a car dashboard, anxiety alerts people, too — but to their own health and well-being.

In some ways, anxiety is simply information the body receives — a signal informing us whether to fight or flee in response to a stressor. As with a dashboard alert that flickers on for the first time, the earlier you tend to the warning, the better.

And, as any experienced car owner knows, the more careful attention you pay upfront, the better and longer everything will last over time.