Why anxiety isn’t always your enemy ?

Anxiety keeps on finding me… Anxiety is your friendnemy!

Anxiety is having excessive worry, feeling restless, increased heart palpitations, trouble sleeping, gut/stomach issues. Anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling that often makes us want to crawl out of our skin. We all have anxiety over different things and for different reasons. 

Anxiety is also a superpower for many. Anxiety can be a great motivator, helping people accomplish their goals and complete the task they don’t want to do. Anxiety helps keep you safe by improving your alertness, keeping you vigilant and helping you react quickly to danger. Anxiety is your friend! 

Anxiety has helped me execute plans I had no interest in, but needed to do. Anxiety helped me create this blog. But anxiety has also made me burst into tears due to feeling overwhelmed. 

When anxiety appears it's your body's way of keeping you safe. Safety is our body's main goal. However, like most things, too much of it can become a problem. 

Anxiety becomes a problem when it is activated at times where we are not unsafe. Anxiety may show up when you feel under pressure or lack of control in your life. When your anxiety becomes unbearable or uncomfortable it feels as if your world is spinning. 

Anxiety is the fear of the unknown. We fear the unknown because we are unsure if it is safe. Most of us believe safety is comfort. Pushing past the fear of the unknown, makes you recognize what you can accomplish. However, it can also make you feel overwhelm and burnt out if anxiety doesn’t go away. 

To help manage your anxiety when it is no longer helping you, you can try this coping technique when your anxiety is intense. 

5-Sense technique 

Find an area where you can look around your environment. 

Inhale - count to 5 - Exhale 

Name 5 things you can see 

Name 4 things you can hear 

Name 3 things you can touch 

Name 2 things you can smell 

Name 1 thing you can taste 

Inhale - hold for 5sec - exhale through your mouth 

You don’t have to hold it all anymore. Release a little. Relearn slowly. Reframe when you’re ready.

Your real life therapist, Renice