{"id":5557,"date":"2026-07-27T09:06:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T09:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5557"},"modified":"2026-07-27T09:06:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T09:06:20","slug":"harriette-cole-nothings-wrong-but-my-mind-wont-settle-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5557","title":{"rendered":"Harriette Cole: Nothing’s wrong, but my mind won’t settle down"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DEAR HARRIETTE:<\/strong> I have been struggling with anxiety for years now.<\/p>\n

As those who experience anxiety know, it ebbs and flows depending on a plethora of factors both in and out of my control. My anxious thoughts stem from a childhood with many unexpected and uncontrollable changes. As a result, feeling unsure or not being able to predict what\u2019s next is a trigger for me.<\/p>\n

Read more Miss Manners: My ungracious guests have me considering poison<\/a><\/p>\n

Well, life is, by nature, unpredictable. Although everything is fine, I\u2019m still experiencing strong waves of anxious feelings.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure how to fix something when there\u2019s nothing wrong. I\u2019ve been told it\u2019s normal to have these types of emotional waves, even when things are OK. My unconscious mind is still trying to protect itself, even if there is no danger present.<\/p>\n

I understand it will take time to adjust and that I am not a machine. How do you think I should begin the healing process?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Anxiousness<\/em><\/p>\n

DEAR ANXIOUSNESS:<\/strong> Work with your care provider on coping strategies, including breathwork, exercise and establishing a routine to help balance the anxious thoughts. If you see a psychiatrist, discuss medications at the right dosages to help regulate your system, and be consistent in taking the medication.<\/p>\n

DEAR HARRIETTE<\/strong>: I have a response for \u201cWant To Be Patriotic,\u201d who asked how to be a proud American amid the divide in the U.S.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

For one, stop watching CNN and Fox News.<\/p>\n

Secondly, treat each person as an individual. Stop seeing people as a group as all rich, all poor, all of a particular race or ethnicity, social status, educational status, etc. There is goodness in all types of people, just as there is evil in all types. A person of lower income can be just as greedy as a person of higher income and vice versa.<\/p>\n

Read more Dear Abby says farewell to her column<\/a><\/p>\n

Thirdly, America has an opportunity of abundance for anyone with the tenacity not to quit. Just look at the examples of citizens who have gone from poverty to riches. Many people who are on TV or are heads of corporations at one time waited tables, slept in cars or worked more than one job to make ends meet.<\/p>\n

Fourthly, go to any store with a person from another country and watch tears in their eyes when they see we have several types of rice, meats, light bulbs, etc.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

We are one of the few countries in the world that if we see a problem, private individuals have the right to help participate in the solution. We do not have to depend on the government to solve it. If you\u2019re interested in homelessness, volunteer or donate to Habitat for Humanity. Give to food banks to assist those who face hunger.<\/p>\n

Treat each person as an individual, and accept that person may be having a bad day. It\u2019s not always about you; give grace. Remember you have not walked in their shoes, nor have they walked in yours. Don\u2019t expect everyone to think like you, act like you or process thoughts like you.<\/p>\n

Pray for others \u2014 if you believe in prayer. Do not pass your anger on to the next person of a certain race, financial status, educational level, etc.<\/p>\n

Proud to be an American? Yes!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Proud To Be An American<\/em><\/p>\n

DEAR PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN<\/strong>: Amen!<\/p>\n

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c\/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Four seats on Midpen open space district board up for election in November<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plus: Advice for the person who wants to be patriotic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice"],"yoast_head":"\nHarriette Cole: Nothing’s wrong, but my mind won’t settle down - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5557\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Harriette Cole: Nothing’s wrong, but my mind won’t settle down - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Plus: Advice for the person who wants to be patriotic.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5557\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-27T09:06:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5557#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5557\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"Harriette Cole: Nothing’s wrong, but my mind won’t settle down\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-27T09:06:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5557\"},\"wordCount\":638,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5557#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/934295b22278f63640af5eb98e8b862d.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Advice\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5557#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5557\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5557\",\"name\":\"Harriette Cole: Nothing’s wrong, but my mind won’t settle down - 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