To many people, anxiety is an enemy because of the effect it has on productivity. According to the World Health Organization, anxiety causes the global economy to lose $1 trillion in lost productivity each year. However, you can change this by making it work in your favor. For that to happen, you would have to do the following:
Take Advantage of the Adrenaline
Anxiety pushes up adrenaline levels. A little bit of anxiety is critical for top performance. Athletes know this and that explains why they coaches prefer them a little anxious right before a race or game. According to researchers, that “sweet spot” serves an important role. Sweet spot refers to the right amount of anxiety needed to keep you on your toes to perform better.
Reframing the Anxiety
It is possible to reframe anxiety by admitting and accepting it before redirecting it into something more positive. For example, you could use it to motivate yourself to optimize your performances. A perfect illustration of what you can do to reframe it is by saying “I am so excited” rather than “I am too nervous.”
Channel it into Motivation
Reframing your anxiety automatically increases the likelihood of using it as a motivation. Here, you would have to find the sweet spot for your anxiety first. Anxiety that makes you mentally alert is the best motivator. For example, if you are anxious about growing overweight, obese, and physically unfit, you might want to start jogging, swimming, or riding a bike to stay healthy.
Lastly, it is vital to learn to differentiate unproductive anxiety from productive anxiety. The former causes you to worry about things outside your control. Productive anxiety forces you to worry about stuff you can do something to change. Put more emphasis on the latter and purpose to be a more productive individual in all tasks you do. Now, go out and win!