Did you know that anxiety and excitement can have similar physical manifestations in your body?
We tend to think of anxiety as bad and excitement as good.
Anxiety can protect us and warn us about things that we should be cautious of or pay attention to.
When we are better able to either recognize the similarities between anxiety and excitement, the better able we become to make healthy choices about how to proceed.
Here’s an example.
Choosing to reframe the anxiety of test taking with excitement can make the test feel more like a challenge, or game, or less personal thing to engage in.
I know it can feel like a stretch, but try it for a while and see what might shift for you.
Let’s compare the physical sensation that can arise when anxiety is NOT physically threatening, like test taking, social events, and driving. Just to name a few.
To Do: Focus on one or more anxiety provoking situations that you can relate to. Please pick your own if none of these examples resonate: Public speaking, making a phone call, test anxiety, social situations, or trying something new.
Some of the physical sensations that arise from this type of anxiety can be a faster heart beat, faster breathing, a feeling of energy, tense muscles, stomach ache, and maybe even apprehension.
- On a piece of paper, in your journal, or mentally take a few moments to think about the physical sensations you experience when you are anxious and when you are excited.
- Notice any similarities and differences that appear physically, emotionally, and mentally between anxiety and excitement.
- Be sure to jot down what triggered the anxiety or the excitement. Is there a pattern?
Why is this helpful? Because, you may feel anxiety or excitement in your body BEFORE you become mentally aware of it.
Before these sensations become more intense, possibly sending you into a tailspin, start deep breathing, musical relaxation, positive self talk, and ask yourself is this anxiety or excitement?
Then how can you respond wisely to the messages your body is sending you.
Good luck, do the work, and see how your life improves.