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0 By Jessica Evans
Anxiety makes me awesome.
Yes, that’s right – my anxiety makes me awesome! Don’t worry, I haven’t lost my mind just yet…
All I ever hear or read about are the struggles or negative impacts of living with anxiety. What about the good things it can bring to the table? No one ever talks about the positive side of anxiety. There are actually quite a few benefits, and I bet a lot of you don’t even realize this side of anxiety exists.
Anxiety’s not all bad
Not every aspect of anxiety is a bad thing. Honestly – yeah, sometimes having anxiety drives me crazy, but it also makes me who I am. And that’s the part I’d never want to change. That’s just one of the many ways having anxiety makes me awesome.
I wish other people would be more open to listening and understanding the struggles we face with anxiety. Those who don’t know what it’s like seem only to focus on the frustrating and negative aspects.
I don’t deny that it can make certain situations more difficult; of course it can. But I believe that people’s lack of knowledge, and unwillingness to learn or understand people with anxiety, makes an already difficult illness even more difficult than it has to be.
This is why I feel it’s so important to talk about the awesomeness of having anxiety. The positives it comes with. To me, it doesn’t matter what others think, because I know who I am. I’m not my anxiety, I’m so much more than that.
Why anxiety makes me awesome
For any of you who struggle with self-doubt, negative perceptions of yourself, or the negative perceptions others project onto you – this is for you. You are not your anxiety. You are an amazing person who deserves to be treated like the unique and gifted person you are.
Why my anxiety makes me awesome:
1. I understand others better. I know what it feels like to be different. And I can relate to all kinds of people, and the problems they may face. This enables me to help them feel comfortable about their own struggles.
2. It gives me patience. I’m able to realize that we all move at our own pace and level of comfort.
3. The gift of empathy. I can truly put myself in the shoes of others and feel what they feel. This ability allows me to offer comfort to others who are hurting or going through a difficult time.
4. My kick-ass sense of humor. Yep, that’s right. I’m hilarious. I use humor as a coping mechanism, and it has helped me – and others – through some rough moments in life.
5. I know how to laugh at myself. I’m able to laugh at my own awkwardness and ridiculous thoughts. Being able to laugh at yourself is necessary; it helps you remember not to take life too seriously. It can also lighten up a tense moment – laughter is an amazing release from anxiety.
And more…
6. Self awareness level: Expert. My anxiety gives me a heightened sense of a lot of things, including the ability to be aware of myself and my thoughts. Most of us with anxiety tend to have this capability come a little easier than others do. This is most definitely an advantage.
7. I’m a great listener. Sometimes all we need is for someone to just listen. Because I need this myself, I often know when others just need to vent, or talk about things that are on their minds, just to get these thoughts out.
8. It’s a part of what makes me who I am. I often feel different from others, partly because of my struggles. But I love being me! My anxiety is just a part of me, and so is my effort to overcome my anxious feelings. I feel that pushing myself to do things that cause me to feel anxiety makes me stronger.
9. My “gut” instincts keep me safe. There have been situations I have found myself in, that without my anxious gut feelings, could have turned out differently. I trust my feelings, and it has helped me get through some tricky situations in life.
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Anxiety makes me awesome in so many ways.
Anxiety can be a good thing
Do I love having anxiety? Not necessarily. There are things anxiety prevents me from doing, and I am still working on overcoming these challenges. But that doesn’t mean that everything about anxiety has to be negative.
In fact, some anxiety is actually a really good thing. It’s what helps us navigate through the dangers of life that we may otherwise not notice.
It’s always easier to focus on the negative aspects of anything, but if you stop to think about the positives, it can change the way you look at things. This is with anything in life. Sometimes this is easier said than done, but that doesn’t make it impossible. You just have to put your mind to it, practice, and most importantly, never give up trying.
Having anxiety has actually taught me a lot. One thing that I tend to forget, and I’m sure others do too – we’re all stronger than we realize. We are capable of so much, but we don’t always give ourselves the credit we deserve.
I’m hoping that by pointing out why my anxiety is awesome, it will help you discover why anxiety makes YOU awesome. I like to think of it as my own personal superpower. It gives me strength where I might otherwise not have any.
So, how does your anxiety make you awesome? I’d love to hear from you! By working together and supporting each other, we can all help find our inner strengths.
If you’d like to connect with me, or others who can relate, visit me on facebook or my blog!
We’ve got this. Remember, you are not alone.
~ Jess
Reproduced with permission, originally posted on jessisamess.com
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