Anxiety is the feeling of dread or uneasiness that something or everything is about to go wrong. It can cause an elevated heartbeat, sweating, and tension and is a stress reaction. It’s an emotional state that increases fear due to a perceived threat or imminent danger. However, sometimes anxiety occurs without a trigger. This is when it’s a mental health disorder.
Anxiety happens to everyone in high-stress situations. However, it becomes a disorder that requires treatment when it affects the quality of life. Anxiety can cause behavioural changes and cognitive and physical differences. It can arise from past experiences as well. Sometimes anxiety can cause stress that is disproportionate to whatever is triggering anxiety and may require medication or other interventions. But sometimes, anxiety can be a good thing.
How anxiety can be advantageous
It may not be necessary to eliminate anxiety to function. If you have generalised anxiety, it may be difficult to constantly rely on medication or constantly have to deescalate before doing anything. It’s possible to weaponize your anxiety.
1. Improve performance
The uncomfortable, excessive worry is supposed to help you. Anxiety is the body having a functional fight or flight response. When it becomes too much and prevents you from performing, anxiety needs to be treated. However, managing anxiety can help you more than trying to eliminate it. Anxiety exists on a spectrum where it slowly peaks and makes you unable to function until it tapers away. This then makes you want to avoid situations that trigger this response. This can be activities as mundane as driving or going to work, or it can be a response to a past trauma.
To prevent anxiety from peaking, you can try deep breathing exercises when you recognise an anxiety attack happening. Deep breathing is great because you can do it anywhere and it doesn’t require you to be removed from your situation. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system to slow the heart rate and slow down spiralling. Physical activities like exercise, walking, or yoga can also help reduce anxiety. Health: 7 Benefits Of Deep Breathing Exercises
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When you notice anxiety rising, you can identify what is causing it. If you get anxious because of work, school, or other chores, you may have a program that isn’t conducive to your well-being. Try changing your routine to ensure that your program doesn’t overwhelm you and makes you more efficient.
2. Fix what isn’t working
Sometimes anxiety isn’t the problem. In various instances, anxiety can be a health symptom. When your body isn’t doing well because of what you’re doing, your body may be telling you that something is wrong with a stress response. This can require you to scale back your work or reorganize your schedule. You may also need a full medical checkup to see if something else is wrong. In addition, you may need to take a holiday or sabbatical.
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3. Build emotional strength
To build muscle mass, your body needs to tear muscle fibres for them to heal and grow bigger which subsequently makes you stronger. The same works for facing your fears. Whenever you feel anxious when you do something, then you face it head-on and deal with your anxiety with exposure, this gives you more emotional resilience. When your response to anxiety is avoidance, you may not gain a lot of resilience. Persevering through daily activities that cause anxiety eventually makes you emotionally stronger. This helps you when you deal with more stressful situations in your life.
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4. Improve connection
Sharing your anxieties with a loved one can boost intimacy. Studies show that being vulnerable this way can improve the connection between you and your partner or friend. Expressing your emotional needs helps make relationships stronger. How The Male Loneliness Epidemic Affects Fathers And What Can Be Done To Help
5. Be more considerate
It can also help you be more conscientious of other people’s feelings. People with anxiety tend to be more considerate and worry about not inconveniencing others. It can be damaging to constantly think that your needs should remain unaddressed because others could be bothered. However, you’ll have to self-examine and see whether you’re being too much of a martyr or if you’re putting others out with your requests. Anxiety works like a cheat code to know when to offer help rather than make demands.
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