7 surprising benefits of anxiety you need to know about
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
Think all anxiety is bad? Think again. Learn why some anxiety is good for you and how you can work with anxiety, instead of against it, to experience those benefits.
If you’ve ever experienced anxiety, you know how overwhelming it can be. But feeling anxious is something almost everyone experiences, and though it doesn’t feel great, it’s completely normal.
Anxiety can range from feeling a bit nervous before a big event to more intense worries about the future that can feel all-consuming. So, of course, it’s pretty easy to see anxiety as a purely negative experience — something we want to get rid of or avoid altogether. After all, anxiety often brings on uncomfortable feelings like restlessness, unease, and even physical symptoms like a racing heart or tense muscles.
But here’s something you might not hear very often — not all anxiety is bad. (Yes, really!) In fact, some anxiety can actually be helpful and be a source of motivation, focus, and protection when it’s present in healthy amounts.
The trick is learning to recognize the difference between helpful and harmful anxiety. When anxiety becomes too much—taking over your thoughts, affecting your mood, or keeping you from living your life—it’s not helpful anymore. But when anxiety is balanced and temporary, it can be a useful tool that works in your favor. Here’s what you need to know.
Why is some anxiety good?
Anxiety is often seen as negative, but it's actually a natural protective response that helped our ancestors survive dangers. Even though we may know this innately, it’s still super common for anxiety to arise in response to stress and challenges. A little bit of anxiety can push us to prepare for important moments, keep us alert in risky situations, and even help us understand what we care about.
“Good” vs “bad” anxiety
It’s often not helpful (or true) to call something all “good” or all “bad”, but starting to recognize the different types of anxiety, and how they might be helping or hurting you, can make it easier to respond in a way that most benefits you. The more information you have, the more of an informed decision you can make on what actions you need to take. Which can also help to calm an anxious mind.
Good anxiety
So called “good,” or "healthy" anxiety, serves as a motivator in challenging situations like exams, meetings, or athletic events. It's a temporary response, specific to situations, that encourages extra effort and attention to detail, helping you prepare and stay focused. This healthy anxiety occurs without taking over our thoughts and fades after the event.
Instead of paralyzing you, it drives you to take action, such as researching a company before a job interview, ensuring you're confident and ready. (Need a boost of confidence? These 13 tips can help).
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that this healthy anxiety is temporary. Recognizing that it can actually help us allows us to reframe this anxiety as a supportive response rather than viewing it as “bad.”
Bad anxiety
So called “bad” anxiety is persistent and intense, lacking a clear cause, and can make everyday tasks overwhelming. Unlike situational healthy anxiety, it lingers even after challenges pass, leading to excessive worry and avoidance behaviors, such as skipping social events due to social anxiety — even though this only reinforces the anxiety over time. (If you’re currently experiencing social anxiety, here’s eight tips to overcome it.)
Physical symptoms like tension, headaches, digestive issues, and sleep problems often accompany bad anxiety. Feeling constantly on edge and exhausted are also signs your anxiety is becoming unmanageable. When you identify unhelpful anxiety being present more often than not in your life, it might be a signal that you need some extra support or strategies to calm down and reset.
What are the benefits of anxiety?
When it comes to healthy anxiety, there are a few specific ways that it can benefit you— even though it might make you feel nervous or frustrated. Here are some of the positive ways anxiety can affect your day to day.
1. Enhances focus and motivation: A bit of anxiety keeps you alert and driven. Feeling nervous before a presentation or test is a sign that you care about doing well. Use this to your advantage by letting the anxiety motivate you to practice or study.
2. Encourages preparedness: Anxiety can act as an internal warning system. When you feel nervous about a deadline or project, it’s often a signal to start preparing. This kind of anxiety helps you avoid procrastination and boosts your productivity.
3. Improves problem-solving skills: Anxiety engages the “fight-or-flight” response, sharpening focus and heightening awareness. When managed properly, these responses can improve your ability to think quickly, solve problems, and handle pressure.
4. Increases empathy and awareness: People with some level of anxiety tend to be more sensitive to their surroundings, making them more attuned to the feelings and needs of others. This increased empathy can improve relationships and communication.
5. Boosts resilience over time: Learning to manage anxiety in healthy ways builds emotional strength. By facing and handling anxiety-producing situations, you grow more resilient and can deal better with future challenges.
6. Protects you from actual dangers: Anxiety helps keep us alert to potential threats, protecting us from harmful situations. It’s anxiety that reminds us to lock our doors, avoid risky behavior, and stay safe in unfamiliar places.
7. Fuels personal growth: Anxiety can push you out of your comfort zone, motivating you to learn new skills or take on challenges. This personal growth helps you gain confidence and discover new abilities.
Anxiety vs anxiety disorder
It’s important to understand that while some anxiety can be helpful, anxiety disorders are a different story entirely and need a different kind of support. Experiencing some anxiety in specific situations is normal and beneficial but when anxiety starts to feel intense, constant, or completely out of proportion to the situation, it may have shifted from healthy anxiety to an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are not simply feeling “too much anxiety” but are patterns of worry and fear that feel overwhelming and uncontrollable. These patterns can interfere with daily life, relationships, work, and even physical health. For people living with anxiety disorders, the constant feeling of dread or worry doesn’t go away on its own. It can feel like an exhausting cycle of nervousness that affects the mind and body in ways that are hard to manage without help.
If anxiety is significantly impacting your quality of life, it may be time to reach out to a mental health professional. They can help you understand your symptoms and develop strategies for managing them. And if you think you might have high-functioning anxiety—where you can still manage personal and professional responsibilities despite high anxiety—here are 12 signs to watch for (and what you can do about it.)
Common types of anxiety disorders
There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with unique challenges and symptoms. Here’s a quick look at a few of the most common:
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): GAD involves constant worry and fear about a variety of topics, from everyday responsibilities to future events, often without a clear reason. People with GAD often feel like they’re always on edge, with worries that feel impossible to control.
Panic disorder: Panic disorder involves sudden episodes of intense fear or panic, known as panic attacks. These attacks can happen without warning and often bring physical symptoms like a racing heart, dizziness, or shortness of breath, making the experience feel especially distressing.
Social anxiety disorder: Social anxiety disorder involves intense fear or anxiety in social situations, like meeting new people, public speaking, or even casual conversations. The fear often centers on worrying about being judged or embarrassed in front of others.
Phobias: Phobias are intense, sometimes irrational (depending on the circumstances) fears of specific things or situations, like flying, driving, heights, or spiders. While many people have fears, a phobia is extreme enough to cause avoidance and anxiety that disrupts daily life.
How to work with anxiety: 6 mindful tips to experience the benefits
Even if your relationship with anxiety feels difficult now, there are ways to work with it rather than against it. By taking small, mindful steps over time, you can begin to see anxiety as a helpful force that’s benefiting you, no matter how disruptive it may feel in the moment.
1. Acknowledge your anxiety to take back control
It’s common to want to push anxious feelings away, but the first step to working with anxiety is simply recognizing it without judgment. Giving your feelings a name can make you feel more in control and less overwhelmed by your emotions. Struggling to identify what you’re feeling? Take a look at our feelings wheel.
How to try it: Next time you feel anxiety building, pause and take a few deep breaths. Say to yourself, “This is anxiety, and it’s here to help me prepare,” or, “I’m feeling anxious right now, and that’s okay.” Taking a few moments to recognize your anxiety can ease some of its intensity, making it easier to focus on what’s causing it and how you can respond.
2. Practice mindfulness to stay grounded
Mindfulness helps you stay present, which is especially helpful for managing anxious thoughts that often dwell in the past or future. Practicing mindfulness doesn’t have to be complicated — it can be as simple as tuning in to your breathing or noticing small details around you.
How to try it: When you feel anxious, focus on a simple breathing exercise, such as breathing in for four counts, holding for four, and breathing out for four. You can also try observing your surroundings by noticing five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This sensory grounding can help you shift from anxious thoughts to the present moment.
💙 Feeling anxious right now? Ease panic and anxiety in 4 minutes with this Panic SOS meditation.
3. Set realistic goals to build confidence
Anxiety often flares up when we put too much pressure on ourselves or set goals that feel impossible to reach. Instead of aiming for perfection or expecting to accomplish everything at once, try breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. Setting realistic goals can make it easier to approach challenges with confidence rather than dread. And if you’re a self-diagnosed perfectionist (like many of us are!) these six tips can help you stop being so hard on yourself.
How to try it: If you’re anxious about a big project, start by creating a list of small, actionable steps. Focus on completing one step at a time, and celebrate each small win. Not only does this make the task feel less overwhelming, but it also gives you a sense of accomplishment that reduces anxiety and keeps you moving forward.
4. Get your body moving to boost focus
Exercise is one of the most effective natural ways to manage anxiety. Physical activity may release the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals, which can boost your mood and reduce stress. Exercise also helps break up anxious energy, making it easier to focus and feel more balanced throughout the day.
How to try it: You don’t have to spend hours at the gym to get the benefits (yep, we were glad to hear that too!) Try going for a walk, dancing, stretching, or doing any movement that feels good to you. Even a quick 10-minute walk around the block can reduce anxiety and help clear your mind. Making time for movement each day, even in small doses, can help keep anxiety manageable.
5. Use positive self-talk to reframe worry
Anxiety often brings a flood of negative thoughts that can feel hard to shake. Practicing positive self-talk helps you reframe those thoughts and replace worry with encouragement. Positive self-talk isn’t about ignoring reality — it’s about reminding yourself of your strengths and abilities, especially when anxiety tries to convince you otherwise.
How to try it: The next time you notice an anxious thought, pause and respond with a positive statement. If you’re thinking, “I’m going to mess this up,” try countering with, “I’ve prepared for this, and I can handle it.” Practicing this regularly can help you build a habit of encouraging yourself, which can reduce anxiety over time.
💙 Learn how to Shift Your Self-Talk with guidance from Jay Shetty.
6. Seek support if needed
Sometimes, anxiety can feel too overwhelming to manage on your own, and that’s okay. Reaching out to a friend, family member, or mental health professional can make a big difference. Talking to someone who listens without judgment can help you feel understood, which is comforting when anxiety feels isolating.
How to try it: If you’re feeling anxious, consider calling a friend to chat or joining a support group where you can share your experiences with others who understand. If anxiety is impacting your daily life, therapy can offer long-term strategies and guidance. Talking with a professional can provide relief, practical tools, and a safe space to explore what’s behind your anxiety.
💙 Learn to ride the waves of anxiety with our Letting Go of Anxiety series.
Anxiety benefits FAQs
Are there any benefits to having anxiety?
Anxiety can act as a natural motivator, helping you stay focused, organized, and prepared for things that matter to you. Anxiety also serves as an internal alarm system, helping you stay cautious and alert in situations that might be risky. This protective instinct, when balanced, keeps you on your toes and encourages safer choices.
Also, people with manageable levels of anxiety often show greater empathy and awareness of others’ emotions, which can strengthen relationships and improve communication.
While a little bit of anxiety can be helpful, too much can become overwhelming and counterproductive. It’s all about finding ways to manage and channel anxiety so it enhances your life rather than making it more challenging.
How can I tell if my anxiety is healthy or harmful?
Healthy anxiety is usually temporary, specific to a situation, and usually motivates you to take action. Like, feeling anxious before a big presentation can make you prepare more thoroughly and focus better when it’s time to speak. Healthy anxiety helps you stay alert, perform well, and then typically fades once the situation is over. If you notice that your anxiety feels manageable and even pushes you to improve in certain areas, it’s likely the “good” kind of anxiety that’s working with you.
Harmful anxiety, on the other hand, feels constant, intense, and hard to control. It often shows up without a clear reason and can make even small tasks feel overwhelming. This type of anxiety may lead to avoidance behaviors—like steering clear of social events or stressful situations—because the anxiety feels too uncomfortable to manage. Harmful anxiety often comes with physical symptoms, like muscle tension, headaches, or difficulty sleeping, and it can impact your ability to work, study, or maintain relationships. These are 16 common anxiety triggers to look out for.
If your anxiety feels more like a daily burden than a helpful push, or if it keeps you from doing things you enjoy, it may be time to explore ways to manage it or to reach out for professional support.
Can meditation cure anxiety disorders?
Meditation is a helpful tool for managing anxiety, but it’s not a cure — especially for anxiety disorders. Regular meditation can help calm your mind, improve focus, and reduce stress, making it easier to handle anxious feelings when they arise.
Practices like mindfulness meditation teach you to observe your thoughts without judgment, which can reduce the impact of anxious thoughts and make you feel more in control. Meditation also encourages relaxation by lowering the body’s stress response, which can reduce the physical symptoms that often accompany anxiety.
For those with mild anxiety, meditation may be enough to manage symptoms and bring a sense of peace. But, for people with anxiety disorders—where anxiety is intense, chronic, and impacts daily life — meditation is usually more effective when combined with other treatments, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), lifestyle changes, or medication.
If you’re dealing with severe anxiety, consider using meditation as a supportive practice within a broader treatment plan, rather than expecting it to be a stand-alone cure.
What are some physical symptoms of chronic anxiety?
Chronic anxiety often comes with a range of physical symptoms that can make a significant difference to your quality of life. If you are consistently experiencing any of these symptoms, consider reaching out to a healthcare provider to explore ways of reducing their impact.
Muscle tension: Stress and tension from anxiety often lead to muscle tension, especially in areas like the neck, shoulders, and jaw. As a result, tension headaches or even migraines are also common.
Stomach issues: Indigestion, nausea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), are strongly linked to chronic anxiety, since stress can significantly impact the digestive system.
Sleep disturbances: Anxiety often makes it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or feel rested. You may find yourself lying awake with racing thoughts, which adds to daytime fatigue and low energy.
Frozen on “alert” mode: Some people also experience a racing heart, shortness of breath, or a feeling of being “on edge” all the time.
How does anxiety affect relationships and social life?
Some people with anxiety are highly empathetic and attentive to others’ needs, which can lead to strong, supportive connections. But, when anxiety becomes overwhelming it may lead to misunderstandings, as anxious individuals might seek reassurance frequently or avoid certain conversations out of fear.
Anxiety can make everyday interactions feel daunting, often leading people to skip social events or feel tense during them, which can make it hard to connect with others comfortably. For some, the fear of being judged or embarrassed makes it tough to relax and be themselves around others, creating distance in relationships over time.
Open communication can help bridge these gaps, and many people find that explaining their anxiety to friends or loved ones leads to better understanding and support. Learning to manage anxiety and communicate openly about its effects can go a long way in helping you maintain meaningful, healthy relationships.
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