[9급 지방직 영어 2023년 19번]

We live in the age of anxiety. Because being anxious can be an uncomfortable and scary experience, we resort to conscious or unconscious strategies that help reduce anxiety in the moment—watching a movie or TV show, eating, video-game playing, and overworking. In addition, smartphones also provide a distraction any time of the day or night. Psychological research has shown that distractions serve as a common anxiety avoidance strategy. _________, however, these avoidance strategies make anxiety worse in the long run. Being anxious is like getting into quicksand—the more you fight it, the deeper you sink. Indeed, research strongly supports a well-known phrase that “What you resist, persists.”