It seems every time we turn around someone is talking about how they “have” anxiety, as if all anxiety is a disorder. Well, it is not. There is a generalized anxiety we should all have. After all, we are floating around on a ball in the middle of space. How can that not be anxiety provoking? Anxiety can be our greatest power if we learn to work with it, rather than against it.
1. Pressure
Pressure is a wonderful thing. It is when we’re under the intensity of high-pressured situations that we are the most alert. Our physiology responds automatically, putting us into the biological experience of fight-or-flight, where it feels like our very survival (reputation, closing a deal, promotion) may be at stake.
Another way to look at this is fight-or-flight experience is being “in the zone.” When in this heightened state, we are sharply attuned to everything going on in our environment, and everything required of us to be successful. These do-or-die moments provoke us into action.
There is a large majority of us who do not respond unless we’re under intense pressure. Many procrastinators unconsciously allow for enough anxiety to build until they are forced into performing or face harsh consequences. Either way, when pressure creates positive movement, it is anxiety that fuels that action.
2. Risk
Success is all about risk. Without risk, and the natural anxiety that goes along with it, we would never get outside of our comfort zone long enough to make a difference.
Excitement and anxiety are often confused, causing some of us to erroneously interpret the intensity of excitement as negative. We must embrace the unfamiliar and what it feels like to be there. There is no comfort zone in life because, on some level, we are always facing the unknown. Success requires pushing through the fears and anxieties of our unknowns, allowing us to leap into them to see what they taste like. The more we do this, the easier it gets, and the more successful, confident and trusting of ourselves we become.
3. Intuition
When we’re feeling “anxiety,” we could also simply be in touch with our gut instincts. There is a way through every challenge.
Oftentimes, the right answers grab our attention by shooting us up with doses of intense fear or anxiety. Fear shocks us into paying attention. The best response when experiencing intense anxiety is to slow down and give it a moment’s attention. The more we ignore our impulses, the more impulsive we become when making decisions. Take a moment. There is no urgency to act right now. When we slow down and listen to what is underneath the fear or anxiety, we are likely to come to the correct decisions.
We must learn to pause. Pausing helps us use our gut instincts to work smarter, not just harder.
4. Time
The more…