4 minute read
Upside of anxiety
THE
WHO KNEW THERE WERE POSITIVE ASPECTS TO HAVING AN ANXIOUS MIND? A LONG TIME SUFFERER SPELLS OUT THE GOOD NEWS FOR HER TIGHTLY COILED FRIENDS
WORDS DILVIN YASA
It was the appearance of my trusty SAS Survival Guide during our honeymoon that revealed the true face of my anxiety disorder to my husband. “We’re not slashing our way through jungle or hiking glaciers, we’re in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora,” he said. True, I responded, but what if there’s a tsunami or our plane crashes on the way home? This is what it’s like living with anxiety, your brain constantly cataloguing every worst-case scenario, ready for the bottom to fall out of your world at any given turn.
The silver lining? Because I’ve spent my whole life prepping for disaster, I was more prepared than most for the pandemic. “Step aside,” I said to my husband, metaphorical top hat and cane in hand. “This is my time to shine.” That day my husband saw the positive sides of my anxiety — my savings accounts were healthy, I’d stored enough non-perishables to live in an underground shelter for a year and I had objects that could serve as weapons stored in every room of our house. “You know, in case people start looting,” I explained.
Strange behaviour sure, but research from France shows anxious people like myself actually handle threats and crisis situations more efficiently than non-anxious people. Happily, it’s far from being the only benefit of an affliction that only ever seems to be talked about in a negative light.
Safety first
Anxiety occurs when the body gets stuck in a flight-orfight response — an evolutionary mechanism designed to keep us safe. Psychologist Dr Marny Lishman says anxious people are more cautious than most. “They’ll
over-analyse things and think things through rather than jumping in — paying attention to that horrible feeling in your stomach can pay dividends,” she says, referring to a UK study that found people who suffer from anxiety avoided fatal accidents in greater numbers than those without anxiety. “They’ll get in a car and drive properly, or slowly, ruminating on all the negative things that can happen if they don’t.”
But there is a flipside. Living in a state of hypervigilance can lead to ill health if you let those negative feelings grow
out of control, psychotherapist Karen Holmes, of Brighter Day Counselling, explains. “Studies show anxious people report far more health issues as they grow older than non-anxious people so it’s important you stay in the driver’s seat rather than your anxiety.”
— Karen Holmes
The art of connection
Karen insists the anxious are some of her favourite people, explaining it’s all too rare that we focus on the positive aspects to their personalities. “They’re sensitive people who are keenly tuned into their environment, which means they’ll often pick up what’s going on in others.”
It’s a thought that ties in with a University of Haifa study that shows those who suffer from anxiety are more empathetic, with many exhibiting an ability to understand others’ emotions — a link that researchers claim may stem from constant self-examination. When you’ve been through personal struggles yourself, or you’re always worried about what others will think of you, you tend to be more loving and
— Dr Marny Lishman
accepting of others — particularly when they’re having their own challenges.
It’s also worth noting that several studies, including one from the State University of New York, found anxious people tend to be highly intelligent.
The great motivator
Whether you’re worried about losing your job, meeting deadlines and/or making enough money to make ends meet, there’s no denying anxiety can be a powerful motivator to do more, to be better. “It motivates you to get stuff done, that uncomfortable feeling constantly pushing you into motion to find ways to alleviate that feeling, and the good news here is that if you can keep a handle on your anxiety, it can actually help you perform better in your job,” Dr Lishman says.
One study, published in the Journal of Individual Differences, found anxiety to be a major motivational force, while others show a certain degree of anxiety not only enhanced performance on cognitive tests, but improved skills while participating in competitive sports.
You’re in the driver’s seat
Living with a certain amount of anxiety can be a positive thing, but if it’s causing you distress or impacting your life in a negative way, it’s time to reconsider your relationship with it, Karen explains. “Integrating square breathing (inhaling and holding for four, then exhaling and holding for four) and reframing your thoughts so that you turn your self-talk into a compassionate voice is essential,” she says. “It’s asking yourself, ‘Are you fortune telling?’ or ‘Are you getting into black and white thinking with no flexibility?’ Self-awareness can be incredibly powerful when it comes to taking back control of your life.”
Dr Lishman agrees, adding gratitude can also play a healthy role in the road to feeling stronger and more capable.
“Gratitude redirects your brain to focus on the good things in your life and the feelings attached to that. The more you rewire your brain to notice more of the positives, the more you can train yourself away from catastrophising.”
Of course, if you feel you can’t get your anxiety under control, both health professionals recommend speaking with your GP for
further assistance.
