Anxiety can be a catalyst for growth and thriving if approached with the right tools and mindset, enhancing relationships and emotional connections.
Accepting distress as a normal part of life can build resilience, reduce stigma, and help navigate normal adversities effectively.
Deep dives
Anxiety as a Catalyst for Growth
Anxiety, often seen as a negative experience, can actually be a catalyst for growth and thriving if approached with the right tools and mindset. Embracing anxiety and using it to connect with others can enhance relationships and deepen emotional connections. The fear system that triggers anxiety is a natural and necessary response for survival. Understanding that anxiety is a normal human emotion can help reduce the stigma and judgment associated with it.
The Importance of Accepting Distress
In a culture that promotes constant happiness and the need to feel good all the time, the concept of accepting distress is often overlooked. Trying to constantly eliminate anxiety or uncomfortable feelings can actually intensify them. The more we resist anxiety, the stronger it becomes. Accepting distress as a normal part of life can build resilience and help us navigate normal adversities more effectively.
The Unintended Consequences of Mental Health Literacy
While increased mental health awareness and literacy is beneficial, there are unintended consequences of our greater focus on mental health. The pressure to always be good and feel good can create unrealistic expectations and lead to increased anxiety. The message that we should never feel anxious or distressed is not only unattainable, but it also amplifies the anxiety epidemic. Accepting that distress is part of life and learning to develop resilience can counteract these negative effects.
Using Anxiety to Thrive
Anxiety can serve as a valuable tool for personal growth and achieving our goals. Instead of trying to eliminate anxiety, we can learn to harness its energy and use it to our advantage. Anxiety can enhance our ability to connect with others and deepen intimate relationships. By leaning into anxiety and embracing discomfort, we can develop resilience and thrive in the face of challenges.
Dr David Rosmarin is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and the founder of the Centre for Anxiety. Today he joins us on the podcast to discuss how we are getting anxiety WRONG as we break down a new approach to managing our anxiety, rather than approaching it with fear. For anyone who is anxious or has battled anxiety in their 20s and beyond, join us for a vulnerable conversation of how anxiety may actually be your superpower and how it has even created stronger relationships for me, personally. Listen now.