How Anxiety is Helpful (and what you can do when it becomes hurtful!)

Anxiety serves a very positive function in our lives.  It keeps us alive!  By scanning the environment for danger, we are able to keep ourselves safe.

However, as helpful as anxiety may be, once it crosses beyond being helpful, it becomes VERY hurtful!

To mitigate anxiety, it can help to “nudge” our brains to look for some positives.

*Here’s a little “positivity practice” that can help you identify small positives that happen in your daily life.

1. In the morning, when you wake up, think of something that you are looking forward to that day. (Warning: looking forward to the end of the day does NOT count!!)

2. Mid-day, think of something that has gone well so far that day.  Ideally, it is something that you have been part of.  (For example, if the positive is that your commute was smooth, that counts.  However, it’s a bit better if your positive is “I didn’t flip off the dumb@$$ who cut me off this morning!”)

3. At the end of the day, think of something for which you are grateful.  It does not need to be specific to the day, and can be a global thing.  (I used to say that being grateful for world peace was a fair option, but in today’s world, it may be more feasible to be grateful for the safety of your friends and loved ones.)

Ultimately, as we navigate a world that seems to be filled with bad news and challenges, it can be difficult to find reminders of what is going well in our lives. Yet, if we prioritize taking opportunities to check in with ourselves throughout the day, we provide our brains a chance to connect with the little things that may have normally blurred into the background of our day. (And, during times like these, the little things really do mean so much!)