Benefits of Anxiety
By Erinn Williams, LCPC
Anxiety. It can be crippling. It can be messy and unpredictable. It can affect your quality of life. But, what if I told you that anxiety can also play a beneficial role in your everyday life? By learning how to cope with anxiety symptoms, you can better address habits caused by anxiety. And if channeled right, turn those habits into something beautiful!
FIGHT OR FLIGHT
Anxiety is meant to protect us from danger and allows us to react faster in problematic situations. Research has found that people with anxiety are better at responding to threats because their brains process potential dangers more effectively.
People with anxiety may find that they have an overactive fight or flight response. If you find yourself in a situation worried about what could go wrong, try thinking of a scenario when things went the opposite of how they should and how you still handled it like a rockstar. Remember, you are capable!
MOTIVATION
Anxiety can actually increase your motivation to take action in a problematic situation. It can encourage you to work more diligently to avoid failure and successfully complete the task at hand. Your anxiety might even give you a little boost to accomplish your goals! Try thinking about the ways that your anxiety incentivizes you to be the best version of yourself.
LEADERSHIP + RELATIONSHIPS
Individuals with anxiety can also be fantastic leaders. If you have anxiety, you might be highly aware of what can potentially go wrong, in turn making you extra cautious when making important decisions. Studies have shown that people with anxiety are also more concerned about how they interact with others. Those that have experienced personal struggles are often more accepting of family, friends and their peers that are facing their own issues.
Anxiety is the most common mental illness, affecting 40 million US adults every year. Even if you don’t have an anxiety disorder, you can still experience situational episodes when under pressure. So next time you feel a tightness in your chest or a knot in your stomach, try understanding the root of your anxiety and use it to your advantage!