Very often I have people come in to see me and they want their anxiety gone. That’s when I take out my wand, swish, and flick. Of course, nothing happens, so I’m either a muggle, my wand is broken, or it doesn’t just go away. Obviously, it’s the latter of the three, but that’s OK. Anxiety isn’t something you necessarily want to go away. It serves a purpose and can be very helpful. In fact, it even has some superpowers.
We all know about the negative things related to anxiety, such as excessive worry, sweaty palms, a racing heart, shortness of breath, indecisiveness, dizziness, etc. It’s these symptoms from which people want relief, but there’s more to anxiety than meets the eye. If you can see the positive in something, it becomes easier to accept as a part of yourself. Once you own something you can do something about it since the only person you can change is yourself. Therefore, seeing the good in anxiety can help prevent you from experiencing the negative symptoms.
Anxiety’s Superpowers
Now it’s time to meet your very own superhero lurking within, Anxiety! Some good that comes along with it is the ability to pay attention to detail, planning the work and then working the plan, and the ability to pick up on how others are feeling around you. As the friendly, neighborhood Spiderman often reminds us, “With great power comes great responsibility!” Now, this is the tricky part, because you become the person for whom you’re responsible. What I mean by this is that when a person is anxious it’s often hard to determine whether that feeling is coming from picking up on how someone else is feeling, or whether or not you’re experiencing that feeling yourself.
So, what are you left to do then? The answer isn’t necessarily simple, but self- awareness is key. It’s important to assess how you’re feeling before entering a situation so that you can set appropriate limits to not take on more than what you can chew.
If you are struggling to find your hidden superpowers, please call STA at (201) 488-6678. Together we can help bring out your best while taking proper care of yourself at the same time!
