Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world to go through each day as if our rose-colored glasses were firmly in place? No stress, no anxiety, every interaction was one of a kumbaya moment. You would think the world would be a utopia for sure. But would it truly be a state of perfection? I submit to you that it would not be. Let us examine why.

Anxiety is essential and actually healthy to some degree. Some anxiety our everyday lives and plays a vital role. In part one of this health series, we will look at some area’s anxiety is actually healthy.

THE WARNING SIGN: Anxiety can be a warning sign which alerts us to current situations that are causing stress. Experiencing anxiety is our body’s natural response. You may have heard of it as the “Fight or Flight” response. Anxiety is the bodies built-in protection mechanism, warning of danger, or something to be wary of. On a major scale it can help you to respond in a near miss situation such as a collision or other dangerous situation. On a less grand scale it can be that little voice that alerts us to look deeper into why something is causing us stress or discomfort. When examined on a personal level one can identify what is causing the stress and the steps needed to eliminate the stress from our lives.

THE GREAT MOTIVATOR: Anxiety can also be a great motivator. Take for instance the anxiety felt over an upcoming exam, a job interview, or even a sports competition. When the physical and emotion symptoms of anxiety are manifested most individuals will spend greater time preparing for the events. Students will spend greater time studying for their exam to receive a good grade. Potential employees will spend time learning about the company and the position they will be interviewing for to be the better informed and more appealing candidate over the other applicants. Athletes will put in quality practice time to get the competitive edge. Anxiety is a great motivator to inspire growth and move towards personal goals.

THE LEADERSHIP COPONENT: When in a leadership role you must be able to think on your feet and juggle numerous tasks. It turns out that good leaders use their anxiety to strengthen their positions. You see by being anxious over the “what ifs” it allows the leader to think through and be prepared for different outcomes. Thus, they have a solution often before the “what ifs” even occurs. Studies have shown these leaders are able to help their teams in productivity and problem solving by thinking outside the box.

N​ow that we have looked at anxiety we can see the positives to this emotion, which is instrumental in our everyday lives. There truly are times when the tension, increased blood pressure and worrisome thoughts are a benefit. In part two of this series we will take a look at when anxiety becomes a problem and methods used to reduce symptoms.

Denise Mayer RN MSN MHA NACLNC