Anxiety is an emotion we often try to avoid or get rid of. It’s uncomfortable and unpleasant. What we know about negative emotions is that they are just feedback to us about what is going on in our world. If we can change the way we see them and relate to them, we can change the power they have over us. It’s less about ‘getting rid of’ bad emotions, ‘cause they will always be around, and more about managing them with helpful strategies.

Anxiety is the emotion you feel before you do something uncertain or risky, and you feel vulnerable. It’s the body’s way of protecting you from further social pain. However, sometimes these instances of social pain are good for us to experience as they build our resilience, our capacity for doing hard things and for braving the world in a way that builds character.

Anxiety is like the pain you experience when coming back from an injury. Physical pain in the body is an indicator to stop the activity as it could cause some damage. However, there are also certain types of pain that are associated with recovery and healing. Our job is to know the difference, so that we can know when to push through the pain, and reframe it from hurting to healing, and when to pull back, and rest.

So next time you feel anxious, ask yourself, is this good pain or bad pain? Am I really in danger here, or can I push through and still be safe? Then watch what happens as you became better able to sort through which is which. Good luck!