Having Tea With Anxiety
“Learning to be anxious in the right way means finding ways to work through it rather than around it, to leverage and channel anxiety to meet goals, and to discern when anxiety isn’t useful and practice letting it go.”
Picture this: You’re sitting in an office waiting room, nervously anticipating an interview with a potential employer. The receptionist is typing away on their keyboard, the click-click-click seeming to match the rapid pace of your heart. A knot tightens in your stomach, and you wonder if you should leave rather than face the stress.
Maybe you haven’t experienced a daunting interview before, but we’ve all encountered anxiety in some form. We know from experience that those feelings are not pleasant, but what if anxiety isn’t as bad as we often think?
What Is Anxiety?
So, that knot in your stomach that arises before a job interview is similar to what our ancestors would have experienced when spotting, for example, a dangerous animal. Anxiety is the body’s response to anticipated threats, a mechanism rooted in survival. While our ancestors used anxiety to detect dangers like predators, today, we experience it before modern-day stressors like interviews. Living in a constant state of anxiety, however, can be harmful. If anxiety disrupts your life, consider seeking professional help, or try tools like exercise, mindfulness, or cultivating relationships.
In the video below, Dr. Russ Harris explains how anxiety functions from an evolutionary perspective and why it was important for keeping our ancestors alive.
The Benefits of Anxiety
Anxiety seems pretty negative, doesn’t it? The truth is, it can actually be beneficial in certain situations! Remember: the purpose of anxiety is to prepare our bodies and minds to respond to potential threats. Just as anxiety kept our ancestors alive in their harsh living conditions, a moderate amount of stress can motivate us to act on important matters. It helps us recognize threats, make decisions, and solve problems (Ein-Dor & Tal, 2012). It can even enhance performance and motivate preparation (Cheng & McCarthy, 2018). Think back to the last time you took a test or performed in front of an audience. If you were worried about the outcome, did you feel more motivated to prepare beforehand? When you feel anxious about an upcoming task or event, consider if there are additional steps that you can take to be ready. Rather than suppressing anxiety, ask yourself: What is my anxiety trying to tell me? Viewing it as a tool can allow you to focus on what matters most.
As Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary (2022) states, “The emotion of anxiety is not broken; it’s how we cope with anxiety that’s broken.” Next time you feel a pang of worry (maybe you even feel anxious about feeling anxious!), take a step back and remember that embracing anxiety as a means to achieve your goals can shift your perspective toward growth.