How anxiety is both helpful and distracting
Apr 14, 2023 7:59 pm
Happy Friday,
Anxiety is difficult to experience AND it has its benefits. I hope the posts below help reconcile the experience for you so you can perform better.
And I've got some great training for you inside Success Stories Membership to develop the skills needed to be your best under pressure.
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While generalized anxiety can be problematic, it comes from a good place.
Worry can be a good thing because it is our mind's way of looking out for potential threats and dangers. Our survival instinct as human beings is to look out and see what could go wrong, especially in the areas that we care about the most. The more we care, the more it can hurt us, and therefore, the more likely we are to worry about it. Worrying about potential threats and dangers is a natural and normal response, and it is our mind's way of doing its job to protect us.
Worry and anxiety are healthy and good emotions to have because they motivate us to take action and prepare for potential threats and dangers. For instance, if we are anxious about failing, we are more likely to study and prepare for a test. If we are anxious about losing, we are more motivated to practice and improve our skills. Worry and anxiety provide us with the energy and motivation to take action and protect ourselves from potential threats and unwanted outcomes.
Fighting anxiety can become a distraction when it takes our attention away from what's important. When we fight with anxiety, we are trying to get rid of it or control it, which is not always possible. This can lead to a cycle of frustration and negative thoughts, which can further increase our anxiety. As a result, we become less present and less able to focus on the task at hand. For example, a baseball player at bat who is fighting with his anxiety, forcing relaxation or positive thinking, will not be able to pay attention to the path and motion of the ball at the same time. His attention is divided and performance suffers as a result.
You can't fight anxiety and play your sport at the same time.
Remember anxiety is a sign that you care. It alerts you to potential threats to prepare for and address. So don't ignore the anxiety or try to fix it. Discover what action it is encouraging you to take to be successful and take that action.
In this way, accept the anxiety. Acceptance means acknowledging that we are anxious, but not letting it control us. We can be mindful and allow the anxiety to move into the background as we focus on what's important in the present moment.
Interested in learning more?
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Dr. Eddie O’Connor
