Anxiety can create stress, but there’s also a silver lining to feeling a little bit nervous.
After all, anxiety is a feeling that is often characterized by intense fear, worry, and apprehension.
Anxiety can also help indicate when something requires your attention.
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However, have you ever considered some of the possible positive effects that may come with having anxiety?
Scientists have learned that some degree of stress or anxiety isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Let’s take a look at what they’ve been learning.
According toYerkes-Dodson law, anxiety can help improve performance up to a certain point.
These feelings and symptoms are a part of our innate way of dealing with stress.
In this sense, anxiety may be a sign to help keep you safe.
It can be distressing and even debilitating when it is too severe.
Instead of helping you do your best, such symptoms make it very difficult to perform at all.
It helps you feel prepared, but it’s not overwhelming or all-consuming.
Unhelpful anxiety is distressing and disrupts your life and relationships.
It creates significant, unmanageable distress and causes you to avoid situations that might trigger these feelings.
If you are experiencing such symptoms, talking to your doctor or a mental health professional is important.
Your career, relationships, and personal aspirations may be negatively affected by your struggle with anxiety.
Takeaways
Anxiety isn’t always a bad thing.
Too much anxiety, however, can create distress and make it difficult to function normally.
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