You read that correctly! Do you know that anxiety can actually be your friend? You might be having reactions right now like:

“But Dr. Anna, anxiety keeps me up at night!”

“Anxiety gives me migraines and stomachaches!”

“Anxiety is the reason I can’t get anything done!”

All of this is 100% valid and real! I have heard all of these things and more about what a horrible pest anxiety is. However….

Did you also know that anxiety is a hardwired emotion that we all experience? There is a reason we have it, even if it goes haywire sometimes and interferes with our lives.

Two major benefits of anxiety are:

• It warns us of possible danger. You know that churning feeling you have in your stomach that tells you not to walk around at 2am at night? Or those sweaty palms you get when you are about to drive on a very snowy day? That physiological response is trying to communicate something to you: “Pay attention. Possible danger ahead.” Thank goodness we have our friend anxiety to cue us to think twice before taking action! It can actually be life-saving at times.

• It can help us perform better. Even though it can be uncomfortable to experience butterflies when performing on stage or being interviewed for a job, those butterflies are most likely helping you put your best foot forward. Research has made it clear that moderate levels of anxiety increase our performance.

Anxiety disorders occur when our response to the emotion becomes problematic. When we continually avoid social interactions because we feel too anxious to face them; when we avoid certain people, places, and things because we are afraid of the anxiety itself. For some people who are particularly sensitive to the emotion of anxiety, they feel it intensely and frequently to the point where it truly does interfere with living their best lives.

Part of treatment for anxiety disorders consists of learning to regulate it and also learning to live with it. It may also consist of facing certain stimuli that provoke anxiety in order to learn that we can handle it. We cannot completely control our experience of an anxiety; it is going to happen whether we like it or not. We need to learn to take it with us while we pursue behaviors that serve us. After all, it is an emotion that, while not pleasant, serves an important function that can actually help serve our goals and values.

Be Well,

Dr. Anna Sheedy