The Surprising Benefits Of Anxiety

Living with anxiety or an anxiety disorder is not easy; it's something that can subject you to uncomfortable feelings, robbing you of your joy, your confidence, and even your sleep. Most people describe it as a sensation that causes intense fear, worry, and/or dread. This is a true statement, and they are not exaggerating. Different people experience anxiety at different levels. For some people, it is distracting and for others, it can be debilitating. 

These uncomfortable feelings can truly affect your life and well-being, and they should never be taken lightly. However, it's not all bad. Anxiety actually comes with some benefits. It can work to your advantage in certain ways, and understanding this will help you manage it better.

So if you're ready to learn more about the benefits of anxiety, keep reading.

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Why Do We Get Anxious Or Nervous 

Nervousness or anxiousness is a common feeling triggered by your body's internal alarm system, known as the stress response, and can result in an anxiety disorder. This stress response involves a string of physiological and hormonal responses that equip you to handle danger.

See, when you're faced with a stressful or dangerous situation, your body goes into what's called a fight or flight mode. It actually prepares you to fight or flee the situation by boosting your adrenaline. This, in turn, makes your heart beat faster, your blood pressure rise, and your breath quicken.

Your energy and alertness are also increased, which then causes the feeling of nervousness or anxiety.

7 Benefits Of Anxiety 

Despite the mental and physical strain that comes with anxiety, scientists have learned that some extent of anxiety is actually good. 

Yes, there are some silver linings in feeling anxious. There are actually a few benefits of anxiety all of which lead to a better life, overall.

Here are seven of the most significant benefits of anxiety:

1. Anxiety Can Help You Protect Yourself

Anxiety is triggered by our body's fight or flight response. This means that your brain is sensing a situation that needs your attention. Now, sometimes your senses can be way off and there may be no danger at all. But at other times, it could actually be true.

Feeling anxious in any situation gives you time to assess what's happening. The sudden nervousness can lead you to take action and save yourself quickly, instead of noticing danger only at the last moment.

2. Anxiety Can Make You More Intelligent

People with anxiety usually imagine multiple outcomes. This can be bad when you're overcome by worst-case scenarios but it can be good as well. See, when you've already imagined what could potentially go wrong, it's easier to prepare for it.

Being anxious and imagining what could go wrong also leads you to start learning and problem solving beforehand. This, in turn, makes you more intelligent emotionally and mentally.

3. Anxiety Can Make You More Aware

We've already discussed how anxiety can make you aware of the danger around you, but it can do more than that, it can also make you aware of other things in your life. For example, if you always get anxious around the time you have to pay bills, your brain is trying to make you aware of something. It is trying to show you that you need to work on your money mindset or figure out a way to earn more.

No doubt, repeated anxiousness is hard and annoying. But the silver lining in this is that your anxiety may just be making you aware of something that, if dealt with, can change your life.

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4. Anxiety Can Motivate You To Take Action

For many people, anxiety can be debilitating. Nervousness is known to play a major role in keeping people stuck. However, the feeling of anxiety is just your body giving you the energy to take action. 

It's why your heart beats faster and your mind starts racing, your body wants to take action. The problem is that most people feel more comfortable bottling up that energy. This is the most common response to anxiety but it doesn't have to be the only one.

The next time you feel anxious, try allowing it to move you into action. A simple action like taking a walk can make the biggest difference.

5. Anxiety Always Inspires Self-Improvement

The thing about being anxious is that you're always trying to overcompensate. There's a major downside to this because some people take it to the extreme when they're anxious. 

They end up feeling like they're not good enough and that they can never do enough, anxiety at this level is bad because those are negative thoughts that do not serve you

What's good about anxiety, in this case, is that it also inspires you to put extra effort into things. You're always trying better yourself, do good work, and make an impression. Done in moderation, this inspires healthy growth, not negative thoughts.

6. Anxiety Can Make You A Kinder Person

Individuals facing personal struggles, like anxiety, understand what it's like to have inner challenges that aren't readily apparent. This experience makes them more empathetic and kind in the way they interact with others.

Your personal struggles, such as anxiety, can lead you to care for others to a much larger extent. This, in turn, benefits both you and those around you.

7. Anxiety Shines A Light On Your Values

The situations we feel anxious in can reveal our values. For example, if you feel anxious every time you see people fight. It shows that you value peace and harmony over arguments and violence.

Feeling anxiety in moments like these will remind you of who you are as a person. This will increase your self-awareness and enable you to live a more informed life.

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How To Manage Anxiety

There are many ways to manage anxiety. Here are some of the best coping skills you can do when you begin to feel anxious.

Pray - Always pray first. Tell God how you feel and ask Him to help you through it. He is always there right beside you in every situation. If you're not sure what to say, here are some Bible verses that will be helpful to pray when you're anxious.

Educate Yourself - Misunderstanding anxiety can make it more challenging to manage. The more you learn about it, the better equipped you'll be to handle it, and the more you'll be able to see the positive side of it.

Talk To A Loved One - Studies have shown that sharing your feelings with people can reduce stress and help you feel more positive.

Try A Relaxation Technique - One of the quickest and easiest ways to calm yourself down when you're anxious is deep breathing. Try breathing in for 4 seconds and out for the next 4 seconds. Doing this repeatedly for 5 minutes will work wonders.

Write Down Your Thoughts - Write down what's making you anxious and then question those thoughts. Ask yourself if there's any truth to those thoughts and if there's anything you can do to rake back control. This will help you figure out what's negative and what's positive about the situation.

What To Do If Anxiety is Not Benefiting You

Even though anxiety has some benefits, there's no denying that it could interfere with many aspects of your life. If you are struggling to see anything positive in anxiety, it might be best to go see a therapist.

Seeking professional help is never a bad idea. Mental health providers are trained to help people manage anxiety and talking to one could change your life.  If you're looking for a therapist in your area, click here to check out our database.

As you go through the journey of managing anxiety know that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Anxiety may not be good in and of itself, but it can work for your good. You could actually use anxiety as a strength if you chose to look for the positive in it. 

Remember, every emotion is subject to the power and authority of God. He gave us each one for a reason, anxiety included. Because the truth is a world completely void of anxiety is a world completely void of discernment and self-awareness.

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About the Author: 
 Corine Williams, Ph.D. is Clinical Psychologist that is currently seeing clients in the States of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. You can find out more about her practice by visiting www.therapyforchristians.com/corinewilliams. In addition to providing individual therapy, Dr. Williams is also passionate about writing books and designing merchandise that educate, uplift, and normalize mental health subject in the Christian community. You can find out more about her at  www.booksbycorine.com or by visiting her amazon profile here:  https://www.amazon.com/Corine-Hyman/e/B00AWZ5FL2

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Disclaimer: the information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this article are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are looking for a Christian counselor near you, please check out our directory located here:  Christians Therapist Near Me