Leslie Knope Has Anxiety...

I recently restarted Parks and Recreation from season one. The first thing I realize is that Leslie is anxious, but her anxiety is not unfounded. She is a woman in power who wants the best for Pawnee. She can be VERY intense and does not listen when people say "no". Leslie is unaware of boundaries and struggles to communicate her emotions. I dare say, Leslie is conflict-avoidant. She learns about Mark sleeping with Shauna Malwae-Tweep and ruins the interview to fill in the pit! Anyway, her anxiety tends to cause tension in friendships due to her excessive worrying, restlessness, disrupted sleep, and having a sense of doom. She engages in emotional eating (waffles and whipped cream) when under stress.

I appreciate Leslie using her anxiety as a superpower to accomplish so many tasks. She acknowledges that being a woman in politics is an added pressure, which may worsen her anxiety. If you resonate with Leslie's chaotic thought patterns and poor boundaries...you may benefit from therapy to gain coping skills to manage anxiety symptoms.