Befriend your Anxiety & Harness Its Power to Support Your Wellness Journey
- Terri Seydel
- Sep 18, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 3
Anxiety. Just reading the word can make your chest tighten and your mind race. It's a feeling we're all too familiar with, but what if I told you that anxiety doesn't have to be the villain in your story? What if, instead of fighting it, you learned to befriend it?
For many of us, navigating demanding careers, family responsibilities, and self-care, anxiety can feel like an unwelcome guest who shows up unannounced. But here's the thing: anxiety, like any emotion, has a purpose. Learning to understand, harness, and channel its energy can serve as a tool for growth rather than something that holds us back.
Understanding Anxiety: A Natural Response
Before we dive into strategies for befriending anxiety, it's essential to understand that anxiety is a natural response. It's your body's way of signaling that something needs your attention. This could be an upcoming project, a shift in your life, or just the overwhelming demands of the day. It acts like an internal alarm system, alerting you to potential threats. However, it can become overwhelming when this alarm goes off too frequently or intensely.
The key is not to silence the alarm but to understand and work with it.
Science shows that anxiety triggers our fight-or-flight response, releasing chemicals like adrenaline and cortisol to help us take action. This physiological reaction has kept humans alive for centuries, helping our ancestors react to danger. But in our modern lives, that same response often gets activated even when there's no physical threat, like a looming deadline or a difficult conversation.
This is where the journey begins: realizing that anxiety isn't always your enemy but a signal that something within needs your attention.
Shift Your Perspective and View Anxiety as a Teacher
Anxiety often gets a bad reputation because of the discomfort it brings. But what if you viewed it as a teacher instead of trying to suppress it?
When you feel anxiety creeping in, ask yourself: "What is this trying to tell me?" Maybe it's highlighting areas where you feel unprepared or insecure or signaling a need for rest or realignment. Recognizing anxiety as a message rather than an obstacle can help shift your mindset from fear to curiosity.
This perspective shift can be empowering. Instead of feeling at the mercy of your anxious thoughts, you're back in the driver's seat with a better understanding of what's triggering these emotions and how to address them.
Taking Control: Strategies to Befriend Anxiety and harness it to support your wellness journey
Once we begin to view anxiety as an indicator rather than an enemy, we can take intentional steps to harness its energy for positive outcomes. Here are some ways you can take control and befriend your anxiety:
1. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness helps ground us in the present moment. When anxiety hits, it often pulls us into a spiral of "what ifs" and worst-case scenarios. Practicing Mindfulness can bring your focus back to the here and now, slowing the racing thoughts.
A simple technique is to pause, take deep breaths, and pay attention to your surroundings. Feel your feet on the ground, the rhythm of your breath, and notice any physical sensations without judgment. This practice helps interrupt the anxious cycle and grounds you in reality.
2. Channel the Energy
Remember, anxiety triggers your body's fight-or-flight response with an actual physical release of adrenaline and cortisol, which means there's a lot of energy surging through you. Instead of letting that energy spiral into worry, channel it into something productive. Use the burst of adrenaline to tackle a challenging project, clean up a space that's been bothering you, or engage in physical activity like walking or yoga.
Physical movement can help dissipate those chemicals and the nervous energy they create and shift your focus toward something more constructive. The key here is to redirect the anxious energy into action that serves you in a positive way - harness anxiety to support your wellness journey
3. Challenge Negative Thought Patterns
Often, anxiety is fueled by distorted thinking. We catastrophize, assume the worst, or engage in all-or-nothing thinking when we view situations as entirely good or bad. When anxiety flares, take a step back and challenge these thoughts.
Ask yourself, "Is this thought based on fact, or is it an assumption?" "What's the likelihood this will happen?" "What's the worst that could realistically happen?" By questioning the validity of your thoughts, you can diffuse their power and gain clarity. Sometimes, writing them down helps to untangle the anxious web in your mind and bring a clearer perspective.
4. Help your Brain discern between Fact and Fiction
Our brains can't distinguish between a dream, a role play, or actual happenings. So, when you think about a dire situation, your brain assumes the event is actually happening and prepares your body to respond with cortisol and adrenaline.
So, by focusing on the worst-case scenario, you are inadvertently directing your body to release these energy-inducing chemicals. Can you see the vicious cycle that this creates?
Try the STOP approach to redirect your feelings.
Stop: Take a brief pause.
Take a deliberate and mindful breath, and focus on inhaling and exhaling. Repeat.
Observe: Acknowledge your thoughts, feelings, and environment without judgment.
Proceed with intentionality, choosing a response consciously.
5. Create a Routine that Supports Wellness
Anxiety can be a sign that our body or mind is out of alignment. One of the most effective ways to counter this is by building routines prioritizing your well-being. Regular sleep, balanced nutrition, physical movement, and time for relaxation are essential pillars of mental health.
When you are balancing many responsibilities, setting boundaries is crucial. Create a routine that allows you to decompress and recharge. This might mean carving out time for meditation, journaling, or a walk in nature—whatever helps you feel centered and reconnected with yourself.
Anxiety as a Catalyst for Growth
Once you implement these strategies, you may notice that anxiety can propel you forward when harnessed correctly. It can motivate you to prepare more thoroughly, reflect on what's working (or not working), or push you to take the necessary steps toward growth.
For example, many people experience anxiety around career transitions or personal changes. Instead of seeing that anxiety as a barrier, recognize it as a signal that something is shifting—and use it as an opportunity to explore new possibilities. Embracing this perspective helps transform anxiety from the feeling of being overwhelmed into a catalyst for positive change.
The Wellness Journey: Befriending Your Feelings
Just like every other aspect of your well-being, learning to manage anxiety is a continual process, and acknowledging that all emotions are part of the human experience.
By befriending anxiety, you take control of your emotional state and cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself and your needs.
This is key to living a life of intentional, whole-person wellness. Anxiety doesn't need to hold you back. Instead, it can be a partner in your journey, guiding you toward growth, self-awareness, and optimal well-being. So, the next time anxiety knocks on your door, don't push it away. Instead, invite it in, listen to its message, and harness its energy to propel you forward on your wellness journey. True Wellness isn't about eliminating discomfort; it's about learning to navigate it with grace, curiosity, and resilience.
Key Takeaway
In befriending anxiety, you open up to a more profound sense of empowerment, tapping into a resource that can drive you toward a life of intentional well-being. Embrace it as a companion, and you'll grow stronger with every step on your wellness journey.
Most Importantly, Ask for Help When You Need It
If you begin to feel overwhelmed by anxiety or it evokes negative thoughts, please seek help right away and don't overlook your family and friends as a support system.. You do not have to face this alone; trained professionals can help with your needs. Here's a great article by FORBES on how to know when it's time to seek professional help.
If you are experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please seek help immediately. You can call 911 or contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline.
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Note: This information is intended to be education only. Please partner with your healthcare provider for medical advice and healthcare decisions.
