Finding the Balance: How ANXIETY Helps and Hurts
What comes to mind when you think of the word “anxiety?” If you’re like most people, you might think of racing thoughts, sleepless nights, intense worry and stress, or a sense of dread. In our fast-paced world, anxiety is a familiar term and a familiar experience, and it usually carries a negative connotation. However, it is important to recognize that while the experience of anxiety can certainly involve a lot of discomfort, it also has the power to benefit us and serve a functional purpose. Understanding these dual aspects of anxiety can help us manage it more effectively, and even harness the potential benefits.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety can be described as an emotional and physiological response, often bringing with it feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and many physical symptoms such as muscle tension, increased heart rate, headaches, stomach aches… the list could go on. Anxiety is a mechanism involving many areas of our brain and nervous system that occurs as a natural response to stress or perceived threats; essentially, it is a defense system that prepares the body to react to danger and cope with an unknown situation. In this way, anxiety is extremely important and helpful. When this defense system interprets neutral situations as dangerous, or overreacts, that’s when we run into trouble. Let’s start by taking a look at the ways anxiety can be helpful.
How Anxiety Helps
Enhancing Performance
The natural “fight or flight” response that anxiety can trigger can be helpful in situations that require us to be alert and focussed. Some of the physical responses that anxiety triggers, such as increased heart rate, a surge of energy, and alertness, can help us perform to our best ability. For example, many people feel a moderate level of anxiety when taking exams. Imagine taking an exam while feeling relaxed, tired and sleepy - you probably wouldn’t do very well. Instead, the increased alertness and boost of energy we feel can help us stay focused and sharp. Anxiety can also act as a strong motivator. A moderate level of anxiety can serve to drive us to prepare thoroughly for the things we feel anxious about, and can increase our sense of perseverance.
Keeping us Safe
The defense response that anxiety triggers is rooted in our drive to survive. Anxiety can serve as a sort of alarm system, which can alert us to potential dangers and encourage us to be cautious. For example, have you ever felt anxious about driving in a severe storm? This sense of anxiety could lead you to stay home, which could reduce the risk of getting into a car accident. In this way, anxiety can motivate us to take necessary precautions and preparations to manage risk and to keep ourselves safe.
Problem-Solving
As mentioned above, anxiety often leads to increased vigilance, and forces us to think ahead and anticipate potential challenges so we can face them head-on. This also encourages us to take a proactive approach to problem-solving. When we anticipate a challenge and contemplate various outcomes, anxiety can drive us to come up with strategies to better navigate complex situations. This type of preparedness can lead to better overall outcomes when it comes to our academic goals, dealing with fast-paced work settings, navigating our relationships with partners, kids, or friends, navigating life transitions, and a number of other aspects of our lives.
How Anxiety Hurts
Although anxiety as an adaptive response can be helpful when it comes to encouraging us to prepare for potential issues or dangers, sometimes the system can be faulty. Often, the anxiety response can be inappropriate for the situation, can be excessive, or can last longer than necessary. This can lead to a number of issues, some of which might seem familiar to you if you have ever experienced long-term or chronic anxiety.
Health Issues
While the anxiety response can be helpful in the short term (think: preparing for a test, or making a decision about whether to take a risk). Chronic (or long-term) anxiety can have severe health consequences. Anxiety that is prolonged can lead to a continuous release of stress hormones like cortisol, which can weaken the immune system, increase blood pressure, and contribute to other conditions such as heart disease. It can also lead to other more common issues such as stomach problems, sleep issues, headaches, and chronic pain, which can significantly impact our overall well-being.
Impaired Cognitive Function
If anxiety is excessive, this can interfere with the way we think and process information. This can affect factors such as concentration, memory, and decision-making. When anxiety levels are too high, this can impact the part of our brain called the prefrontal cortex that helps us focus, recall information, and make decisions. When our prefrontal cortex is less effective, this can get in the way of acting efficiently at work or school, regulating our emotions, and functioning in our day-to-day life.
Emotional and Social Impact
Prolonged or excessive anxiety can take a big toll on our emotional health as well. The feelings associated with anxiety, such as constant worry, fear, and tension can lead to feeling more irritable, experiencing mood swings, and feeling emotionally exhausted. Anxiety can also cause us to withdraw from social interactions, which can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. When this happens, it can create a cycle where the lack of social support makes the anxiety even worse.
Anxiety Disorders
When anxiety becomes unmanageable, it can develop into an anxiety disorder. Disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias can have a big impact on a person’s ability to function. These conditions often require professional help, which could include coming to therapy and/or talking to a doctor or psychiatrist about medication in order to manage the disorder effectively.
Finding the Balance: How do we manage anxiety and harness it’s benefits?
Given its dual nature, the key to dealing with anxiety comes with managing it effectively. Here are some suggestions for strategies to help harness the positive aspects of anxiety while mitigating its negative effects:
Mindfulness and Relaxation
Practices such as mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce anxiety levels. These techniques promote relaxation, enhance self-awareness, help you keep grounded in the moment, and improve emotional regulation, making it a lot easier to manage stress and keep anxiety at a helpful level.
Healthy Choices
It sounds simple, but regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and limiting substances such as caffeine and alcohol can have a big impact on anxiety levels. Exercise, in particular, is often very helpful for reducing anxiety by releasing endorphins (feel good hormones), improving our mood, and promoting relaxation.
Social Support
Developing and maintaining strong relationships and connections can help you manage anxiety levels by providing emotional support and reducing feelings of isolation. Most of us have experienced anxiety, and know what it feels like. By sharing your worries with friends, family, or support groups, you may feel less alone and may even gain different perspectives on or advice for your situation. Talking through your concerns with others is helpful for preparing for outcomes and getting that prefrontal cortex back online.
Coming to Therapy
When dealing with chronic or excessive anxiety, speaking to a professional therapist or psychologist can be especially helpful. Your therapist can help you facilitate mindfulness, initiate healthy choices, provide support, and offer evidence-based strategies to help with the emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms of anxiety. A therapist can help you identify and challenge negative thought patterns, develop healthy coping strategies, and face and overcome anxiety-inducing situations so you can live your best life! If you are dealing with anxiety, or want help identifying if you are, feel free to contact us here. We are here for you!
For more on this topic, check out these resources below!
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/anxiety/the-biology-of-anxiety
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/anxiety
About The Author:
Cassia Tayler, Registered Provisional Psychologist
Cassia enjoys the great outdoors, creativity, the fine arts, music, and working with teens, individuals and couples in identifying barriers to wellness and creating lasting positive change.
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