The Upside of Anxiety
Whether you are a high-functioning achiever or an incapacitated victim of dread and fear, anxiety plays a role in how you get things done. Which anxiety type are you?
Anxiety can have a positive impact on how you achieve goals, overcome challenges, and manage all kinds of tasks — provided your brain is wired to cope with the emotion effectively. And everyone’s brain is hooked up a little differently. The Wall Street Journal this week identifies anxiety’s sweet spot for success and helps sort out different anxiety types.
A procrastinating perfectionist, for instance, delays to the last possible moment and then takes action in a frantic frenzy. These types actually manufacture an anxiety-producing situation in order to get things done — even though time and time again they wish they hadn’t waited till the clock ran out. It seems like a form of self-torture.
If you’re overly optimistic, on the other hand, you may not have the spark of energy that anxiety provides. People who are convinced everything will come up roses can lack the motivation to take action. Prepare for the annual salary review with the boss? Pffft — it’ll be fine.
High anxiety can be a serious and debilitating disorder. The National Institutes of Health indicate that about 18% percent of population is somewhere on the anxiety spectrum. Yet, a smaller, healthier degree of anxiety actually helps focus the mind. The procrastinating perfectionist may be giving herself a bad case of heartburn by not producing anything until the 11th hour before a deadline, but she is exploiting her own anxiety response effectively. She is using anxiety. Some people even use caffeine and cigarettes to simulate anxiety and prompt a reaction in the brain; by raising heart rate and constricting blood vessels, the vices mimic the fight-or-flight response that is at the prehistoric heart of anxiety.
“The fresher view is that some anxiety is actually good if you can keep it in check and channel it into action rather than inaction, and letting it paralyze you,” says Melinda Beck of WSJ. “It's all part of accepting it and saying, ‘This is scary — but I can do it.’”
There are very real, (and painful), physical manifestations that often accompany anxiety, and I wish them on no one. As previously mentioned, there is NO upside to TRUE anxiety.
As someone who has suffered with anxiety, all I can say is this, like most of the articles published by MSN is truncated, and thereby meaningless. It’s not as easy as the article would have you believe if you are one of the fortunate people who has never suffered with extreme bouts of anxiety.
MSN – The very best in pointless journalism.
inspire: live a better life
-
Respecting other people's beliefs
Editor's note: We will now be publishing Miss Manners articles twice weekly, but you will only see one question and answer per article. You can expect to see these articles appear on Tuesdays and Thursdays going forward.
-
5 heartwarming Armed Forces homecomings
President Harry S. Truman was behind efforts to establish the first Armed Forces Day in 1950, and decades later the nation continues to set aside the third Saturday in May to recognize and thank members of the U.S. military for their patriotic service. With these five homecoming images, we salute all service members at home and abroad.
-
8 Ways to Be More Productive Working From Home
There's much to be desired about working from home: the stress-free commute, flexible hours, and improved work-life balance.
-
25 things that will keep you young
Wishing for the fountain of youth? You may not need it. We've rounded up real-women secrets, tried-and-true beauty tips, and the latest research to help you fight aging.
-
10 phrases to avoid at work
Experts weigh in on when to bite your tongue at the office.
-
The crazy things you do to destress
Oh, the places you'll go — to get some "me" time, that is. REDBOOK readers confess all on Facebook.
-
Live happier on the money you have
How much money you make isn't nearly as important as how you use it, according to Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, authors of the new book Happy Money.
-
What if you don't respect your spouse?
Plus, how do you ask people to not bring gifts to a shower?
-
Five resume updates to make now
Looking for a career upgrade? Follow these tips for a foot in the door.
-
7 sun lies we tell ourselves
These tanning and skin cancer myths aren't just wrong — they can do serious harm. Wise up and head into a healthier future. P.S. You'll look a lot younger too.
-
Find happiness in unexpected places
It's possible to rejigger your brain circuitry and feel more joy, even on Monday mornings. Here's how.
-
Meditation 101: How to feel more zen—anywhere
Inner peace just got easier. You don’t need quiet, incense or hours to meditate, and you can scrap the chanting. Better: Ninety-five percent of you say you’re calmer after a single 10-minute session. Whatever your excuse (see ours), get your om on and reap the rewards.
