The bright side of anxiety and worry
- Psychology
Okay lets begin by letting you know anxiety is a natural condition. It’s the evolution of your fight/flight response – wired specifically to warn you that there is a danger present and prepare you to react to it. Hey, without anxiety, you would be what we call in the business as a ‘thrill-seeker”or a “risk-taker” You probably would not think twice about strolling across a busy intersection or speeding in a built-up area, or starting a fight with someone ten times bigger than you. You might even walk into a dark alley alone at night.
The bottom line here is anxiety is intended to keep you safe.
The fight/flight response activates the bodies action system - it may be recognised as increased heart rate, irregular breathing, churning stomach, sweating, trembling, difficulty swallowing. It is important to remember is that these physical symptoms are natural and are helpful in times of danger.
Unfortuantely in todays hectic world many people find their flight/fight response has gone haywire and their inbuilt ‘safety’ alarm has been hijacked… it wont switch off. Have you ever thought that perhaps yours and everyone elses wiring is outdated? – a legacy of our pre-historic ancestors - a stoneage brain operating in a digitalised demanding world! Hardwired to respond to predatory dangers not to the daily threats and demands of our modern culture - mortgages, work, family, unemployment, deadlines, technology, relationships……. and so on and so on……...
But is stress really really that bad for us? If you watch the talk by Health Psychologist Kelly McGonal on TED, you may be pleasantly surprised. She highlighted a huge piece of research at University of Wisconsin-Madison that found that your view of stress impacts your health far more than the stress itself. That is, if you think of stress as always bad for you, then your prediction will come true. But if you think that stress is a good thing – it energizes you, challenges you and gets you moving – you’re also correct.
Stress research posted on the Greater Good website reported short term stress can be good for us, it can boost your immune system, make you more social, improve learning – and it may improve memory.
But here the thing – long term stress isnt such a good thing. So while a bit of stress is fine from time to time, as long as you know how to let go of that stress. Mindfulness can help you to spot not only when your stress level is rising, but what your reaction is t that stress is.
Here’s a short mindfulness exercise to help you t re-frame your stress next time your heart begins to race.
1. Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down, and close your eyes if you can.
2. Spend the first 2 minutes getting settled. As time passes focus your awareness on different body parts and letting go of where tension is held in your body.
3. Observe your breathe, allowing yourself to sit quietly noticing your breathing, shoulders gently rising and falling, calming your mind and relaxing your body.
4. Say to yourself “There is a good side to stress. Stress can be energising and uplifting. In the short-term stress can boost my immune system, improve performance and optimise learning”. Combine this with a little smile on your face.