Anxiety: The Good and the Bad
Distinguishing between good vs. bad anxiety and determining what to do about it.
Anxiety can be seen as a blessing or a curse. The differences between motivating "good" anxiety and hindering "bad" anxiety are great.
On the one hand, acute good anxiety can give you the stamina, determination, and drive to achieve a desired outcome (Russell, 2002). On the other hand, chronic bad anxiety can give you sleepless nights, psychosomatic symptoms, ruminating thoughts, and a slew of other unappealing manifestations.
For the comic lovers out there, anxiety is like Rogue from X-Men. Rogue has the power to impact one’s thoughts, energy, and abilities. When bad anxiety overtakes you, it can distort your thoughts, drain you of your energy, and undermine your abilities. When good anxiety is used as a motivator, it can enhance positive thoughts, energy, and abilities.
Anxiety comes in many forms. It can whisper or it can scream. It can come in slowly and softly, or swiftly and ferociously. We all feel anxiety on a range at any given time. The amount of anxiety that you feel and the extent to which it impacts you is determined by a number of factors (Russell, 2002). The challenge is learning how to manipulate anxiety in order to use it to our advantage.
Anxiety Serves a Purpose
We are hardwired to feel heightened alertness when we sense danger or possible distressing experiences ahead. Anxiety is our emotional, physical, and behavioral response to those perceived dangers or unpleasant situations. In a way, it is our body’s internal alert system, letting us know that we need to be prepared for action.
This alert system can be a good thing. Slightly elevated senses due to healthy anxiety or nervous anticipation can help you to focus, to stay on top of your game, can increase your overall performance, and can even increase your level of joy and excitement in a given situation (think about the last time you nailed a big presentation, got ready for a big date, or were screaming at the TV right before your favorite team won the big game). When you can allow yourself to think of good anxiety as a positive, it can be an exhilarating force that gives you the jolt that you need to succeed and to feel the full level of that success (Strutton & Tran, 2014).
Good to Know: Anxiety
There are a few facts to know about anxiety:
Anxiety is normal. We all experience it, and we experience it often. However, the level of, depth of, consistency of, and impact of anxiety are indicators of a possible need to seek support.
Anxiety is not dangerous and is temporary.
Anxiety is adaptive and can help us to prepare for certain experiences.
How to Quiet Anxiety
Now for the big question: How do you quiet your anxiety when it is screaming?
First and foremost, it is important to calm your body down. Once your body is calm and out of a state of heightened alertness, you can then relax your mind.
To focus on your body, try…
Stretches or yoga.
Deep-breathing exercises.
Visualization
Grounding exercises.
Progressive muscle relaxation.
Take a sensory walk.
To focus your thoughts, try:
Noticing what you are feeling.
Labeling what you are feeling.
Identifying the triggers of these physical and emotional responses.
Gathering data and honing in on rational and positive facts: Ask yourself rationalizing questions like:
Do I have any confirmation that my thoughts are correct?
Do I have any proof that points to another possibility?
What would I say to a friend who is feeling this way?
How can I shift my thoughts into something more positive and productive?
What will happen if I keep thinking this way?
If I were an outsider looking in, how would I perceive this situation?
When to Seek Help
Anxiety is not unique. It is something that we all have felt. In fact, it is so prevalent, that it has become part of our everyday vernacular. For this reason, people oftentimes don’t know when their anxieties stretch beyond “the norm.” Moreover, they may see their anxiety as irreparable, they may be so used to unhealthy anxiety that they do not realize the impact it has on them, or they may experience other factors that keep them from seeking help. As a general rule, you should seek help if your anxiety is:
Taking over and impacting your daily life.
Keeping you from enjoying events and experiences that should spark happiness.
A constant in your mind that you just can’t seem to shake.
Preventing you from taking part in events and experiences for fear of what could happen.
If you just have the sense that it is time for some support.
When you can manipulate anxiety to serve you, it can be your superpower. However, like all superhero comic lovers know, superpowers must be controlled or else they can create chaos. If your anxiety is out of your control, it is important that you seek support in order to rein it in and use it for the power of good.
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References
Russell, E. (2022). Good Stress, Bad Stress. Developing Leaders, 38, 36–51.
Strutton, D., & Tran, G. A. (2014). How to convert bad stress into good. Management Research Review, 37(12), 1093–1109. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-06-2013-0139