Do you worry? I used to worry quite a lot, and I know many people who lose sleep, worrying about all the things they need to get done. Now I see that my anxiety is actually helping me. It’s pointing out something in my life that isn’t working.

If you just have to get out of bed at 3:00 am to write something down, it might be a sign that the system you use to stay organized needs to be upgraded. Or, if you are overwhelmed every time you sit down to pay the bills, you may need to learn more about money management or hire someone to tackle your bookkeeping or to advise you on investing or living within your means.

As I wrote about in Three Reasons to Befriend Your Anxiety there are different types of anxiety, for example social anxiety, punishment anxiety, existential anxiety, and moral anxiety. Moral anxiety acts as a moral compass—we feel bad when we do things that aren’t in line with our morals and values.

Anxiety is such an uncomfortable situation that it literally makes people sick. Anxiety is really nothing more than fear and fear has helped our species stay alive. Ask yourself, what am I afraid of? You may be surprised by the answer. You may also identify something that, if you can change, will make your life easier and make you happier.

 

Rose Caiola
Inspired. Rewired.

To find out about Rose’s thoughts on how to live a happier life, click here