Ways Anxiety Helps

In John 1:46, when Philip introduced Nathanael to Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael responded with a saying of the day: “Can any good thing come out of Galilee?” Except he named the town in Galilee that Philip said Jesus was from, Nazareth. Galilee was “Hicksville.” The Messiah would not come from there…yet He did; a good thing did, indeed, come out of Nazareth. Good can come from the most unlikely places.

As a Christian therapist, I can’t help but think of that story when the subject turns to anxiety. As strange as it sounds, there are some ways that anxiety helps. That might sound strange to read because no one thinks of anxiety as a good thing. Those feelings of stress, jumpiness, tenseness, unease, and fear about something unknown in our future are unpleasant to say the least. In periods of major change or difficult circumstances, we might experience anxiety in the form of tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, sweaty hands, racing thoughts, feelings of woe. So, we work very hard to avoid anxiety. Yet, there are some good things that come from anxiety, some benefits of anxiety.

Ways That Anxiety Helps: Anxiety Warns Us Of Danger

When there is danger, our amazing brain instantly assesses the situation and sends signals to fight for our lives, run away, or play dead (fight, flight, or freeze). And it supplies the adrenaline needed to do so. That is how mankind has survived all of these thousands of years, by following those anxiety responses of the brain to keep us safe. If you see a snake move in the grass and you instantly run, thank your anxiety for saving you.

Anxiety Prompts Us To Change

Have you ever had anxiety and worry about your job, health, finances, a relationship, or a big decision? You couldn’t sleep for worrying about it and thinking about it, and you finally did something about it. Maybe you left a toxic work environment and got a better job, changed your diet, made a budget, got into relationship counseling, all good things. Most of the good decisions we make in our life are prompted by anxiety about our current situation. In fact, our English word “crisis” comes from the Greek word “krisis,” which means “change.” A crisis is a change-moment in our lives. So, again, thank your anxiety for the discomfort that led to many of the good changes in your life.

Anxiety Motivates Us To Prepare

If you’re in school and have a big test coming up, the anxiety and fear of failing motivates you to put in the time and self-discipline to study so that won’t happen. If you have a big project coming up at work, the anxiety and fear of failing and being demoted or losing your job motivates you to focus and do it right. If your spouse has threatened separation or divorce, the anxiety that comes with prospect of losing your family motivates you to finally get into couples counseling. Without that anxiety and healthy fear, there are many areas of your life where you would not succeed.

Anxiety Prompts Us To Be Prudent

The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” A healthy fear of bad consequences prompts us to stop and think carefully about the decisions we make so that we look at the various potential outcomes and choose the wisest course of action. Anxiety causes you to formulate a plan and several back-up plans to reach your goals. By the way, that is the mark of a good leader. It is unlikely that, when you do that, you will be caught off-guard or unprepared. This makes others want to trust and follow you. Every wise person and leader knows this secret benefit of anxiety.

Anxiety Stimulates Us To Be Compassionate

If you struggle with anxiety, you understand not only these positive benefits, but also the toll that it takes on a person’s mental and emotional life. You are tuned in to what it feels like to have struggles and to have that inner tension and stress. Because of this, people who are struggling with anxiety may sense that in you and seek you out to help them. Your empathy also strengthens your relationships and your ability to connect with people in a deeper way. That is a good thing, for sure.

I hope that remembering these positive benefits of anxiety might help you to balance out the negative aspects of anxiety and use it to your benefit instead of your detriment. But if anxiety is out of control in your life and has become a master instead of a servant, at SoulCare Counseling, we can help. I urge you to read more about anxiety therapy and then reach out to us for a free thirty-minute consultation to get you started on the road to your better tomorrow.