The Benefits Of Anxiety: 5 Reasons Why Anxiety Is Good For You

When we recall the moments of anxiety, we recall the way our hearts raced, our chest tightened, and how fear of the unknown washed over us. But did you ever recall a time when anxiety actually helped you?

Of course not. Many people believe that anxiety is a negative reaction, a feeling of nervousness and dread that can be all-consuming.

Anxiety is a feeling often brought on by intense fear, worry, or apprehension but under all the negative aspects there is still a sliver of thread that might indicate that our anxiety can benefit us.

How Anxiety Can Be Good?

You must have heard of eustress or positive stress. Similar to eustress, anxiety can be positive as well. Many researchers have concluded that a little stress and anxiety is not a bad thing. In fact, in the case of stress, experiencing positive stress can keep us motivated and excited.

The reasons why anxiety is good for us can be:

1. Warning Sign

When our anxiety flares up, it can be an early warning sign that we need to focus on our current life and make some much-needed changes. Continuous and recurring nervousness can be indicators that there are things that need to be adjusted and changes that need to be made.

For instance, you may feel that your current job is causing you too much stress. In this case, feeling anxious might be a sign that you need to consider a job change.

Remember that the symptoms of anxiety can be different in each person and might be challenging but managing anxiety can be a good opportunity to self-reflect and grow.

2. Motivation

Anxiety is not always a hindrance. More often than not, experiencing anxiety can help you feel motivated when you’re faced with problems and challenges. Sportspersons who experience anxiety, according to researchers, display an improved performance.

A little bit of anxiety and stress can enhance performance and can also act as an incentive for you to perform better in some aspects of your life.

For instance, if you fear negative grades on your test, you’ll be motivated to study hard to make sure the thought doesn’t become a reality.

3. Preparation

Anxiety drives people to overthink and over-worry. In case you have a big presentation and you’re feeling anxious, then anxiety can help you prepare for worst-case scenarios if they arise. Anxiety can make us prepare and cover all our bases in case the worst comes to pass.

While many people normally like to be prepared, anxiety only enhances our drive to be prepared in case of a difficult situation.

4. Empathy & Leadership

Anxious people are more empathetic and understanding than others. Anxiety causes us to become more sensitive, loving and accepting towards friends and family struggling with challenges.

Anxious people are concerned about how others are feeling and are more attuned with the emotions of others.

Even when it comes to leadership roles, anxiety can drive people to become highly aware of the potential worst-case scenarios which, in turn, can make them careful thinkers, cautious planners, and problem-solvers.

5. Built-in Protection

Anxiety always has a purpose. The emotions we feel are part of how we deal with stress. Understanding our fight-or-flight response can help us protect ourselves from potential threats and dangers and can make our reaction time faster than normal.

Our fight-or-flight response prepares us to either fight back or run away when faced with a potentially threatening situation such as avoiding an accident.

We might not face life-threatening situations daily but our reaction to adrenaline spike might save us from sudden emergencies.

When anxiety rules your life, remember the positive effects it can have on your life instead.

Anxiety Can Be Good, But…

While there are some potential positives to anxiety, it is important to understand that in some cases, anxiety can interfere with your daily routine. If your anxiety is causing you disruptions in your daily life and is preventing you from living your life to the fullest, it is recommended you seek immediate counsel from a professional.

A professional therapist can help with proper diagnosis and can provide you with the right tools to cope with your anxiety.

I hope the above information helped you understand why anxiety is good for you.

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Take Care!