Anxiety has plagued my life for many years. I have shared that it hit me the hardest last year after I finished college, and how it slowly began to define who I was starting at a young age. Between the constant feeling of guilt to the exhaustion that could not be cured, I suffered hard with anxiety.
But there’s a different kind of anxiety that I haven’t even talked about yet. It’s the kind that opens your eyes to all of the possibilities in life, and urges you to chase after them. It’s what I prefer to call “good anxiety.”
I know a lot of you are probably confused. How is it possible for good anxiety to exist, and how can I be a believer in its ability to help when I have preached endlessly about the harm it has had on my own life? Allow me to explain.
Whenever we think about anxiety, we think about how it drains us of energy and leaves us emotionless. We remember every time it prevented us from moving forward, and the numbness it left to infect our brains. What we don’t think about is the rare, easy-to-miss moments when it pushes us in a direction we never thought we would be able to go in, or when it gives your mind a feeling of pure bliss.
Good anxiety appears as the butterflies in your stomach that normally arrive when you’re embarking on a new adventure, like going to college or starting a new job. It even shows up when you buy your first car or graduate from high school. Good anxiety has been by your side for any big, exciting accomplishment you have had in your life.
The difference comes in how this anxiety works versus how bad anxiety works. Bad anxiety seeks to destroy you. It tells you, “You can’t do this,” or, “You are going to fail miserably beyond this point.” It sets you up for disappointment before you even begin, and leaves you longing to return to the comfort zone you left behind.
Good anxiety doesn’t bring harmful thoughts your way. Instead of setting you up for failure, it encourages you to try your best. Good anxiety is the little voice in your head saying, “You can get through this, no matter the outcome.” It leaves the door open for you to go down whatever path fate has paved for you. Rather than letting you miss the feeling of comfort you have, good anxiety sets up a new comfort zone for you that is more spacious than the previous one. Once you have outgrown that space, it works to create an even larger one.
Rather than having one scenario for you to envision, good anxiety provides more than one. It shows you that there is a potential for failure, but even failure can bring rewards. It seeks to be the cheerleader in your life, whereas bad anxiety works as a Debbie Downer.
The biggest downfall is that this anxiety is smaller than bad anxiety. Even the most optimistic person can miss the good feeling of anxiety because the feeling of incapability is more overwhelming in the present moment. I wish I could say there was a way to become more aware of the good anxiety while it’s happening, but I don’t quite have that answer. The only answer I have is this: start embracing every moment you have in life. No matter how big, or how small. Live every day of your life to the fullest and try to not let the bad outweigh the good. It’s not easy advice, and it takes time to get to this state of mind, but once you do it is beyond worthwhile.
