THREE TO USE YOUR ANXIETY TO WAYS YOUR ADVANTAGE

Anxiety and stress go hand in hand: Usually when you are anxious, you are also in a state of stress. (Ever been stuck in traffic on the way to the airport, when you are already cutting it close to your departure time?) And when you are stressed, particularly if you are a high-functioning, take-control type of person, you are likely dealing with some anxious feelings too (Case in point: Work deadlines keeping you up at night).

- Chloe Carmichael, Ph.D.

This is all normal - and, actually, very rational. In many cases, anxiety is just extra mental energy that comes as a byproduct of caring a lot about how you show up in the world. That is a good thing! It means that you have high standards and strive to be the best version of yourself. When you think of your anxiety in that way - as a bonus drive to do and be better - you can start to view it with kinder eyes. That alone can help curb its potential to stop you in your tracks or make you feel down on yourself.

In fact, looking at your nervous energy as positive is an incredible way to turn it into an advantage. This discovery is precisely what led me to write my new book, Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety. If you are not sure where to start, here are three anxiety-management tools from my book that you can use today to keep stress low and your productivity high.

THREE-PART BREATH

When you are anxious, you might think you do not have a second to spare on anything aside from dealing with what is stressing you out. But one of the best things you can do to calm your anxiety in the moment and set yourself up for success is taking a pause to focus on your breath.