Anxiety is a future based emotion. It is looking into the future with a sense of dread.
Examples of situations in which you might become anxious and catastrophise include:
- Asking for a raise at work.
- Needing to change jobs because of unacceptable circumstances at work.
- Needing to talk to your spouse about finances, unacceptable habits, or other topic.
- Needing to learn to give a speech in order to advance at work, hold a volunteer office, etc.
- Wanting to ask someone out on a date (perhaps, you are post-divorce and back in the “market”)
Using anxiety as a tool: The key is to RESPOND (not to react) to your anxiety. This is the EUSTRESS side of anxiety.
- View your anxiety as a messenger telling you that action may be needed.
- Use your anxiety as a motivator to take action.
You use your anxiety as a tool when …
- That report is due at work, or at school, and you stay up all night to get it done.
- You are going on vacation in two days and you manage to clear your desk and make arrangements so you can leave without worrying about what happens while you are gone.
- You start a new business, buy a new car, or take out a loan on a house and you read all the documents a second time to make sure that “all the i’s are dotted and all the t’s are crossed”.
I welcome your comments on the above.