4 Steps to Use Your Anxiety as Creative Fuel
You are not your anxiety.
My parents say that I’ve had an overly active and curious mind ever since I was a wee baby. And they’re right. If I had to choose a single word to describe myself today, it’d be observant. My mind craves stimulation at all times.
It wasn’t until I was 13 or 14 years old that this hyperactivity and overanalyzing turned into what I now realize to be anxiety. I think many of us have felt it at some point. Me, I was consumed by it in my teenage years, especially around 17 and 18.
But my story with anxiety only began there. My tireless brain, its anxiety-inducing byproducts and I have become close acquaintances in recent years. I could even call us — dare I say — friends.
I have been learning how to use my anxiety as a guide towards the life that I’m really meant to live. It’s certainly not a linear path, nor am I an expert in any sense of the word. But here’s what works for me. I hope it can work for you, too.
4 Steps to Using Your Anxiety as Productive Fuel
First, a little definition per Mr. Google:
Anxiety /aŋˈzʌɪəti/:
- a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
- strong desire or concern to do something or for something to happen.
1. Disidentify From Your Anxiety
Let me say it clearly: you are not your anxiety.
Nor are you your thoughts or the workings of your mind in general.
Recognizing your separateness from your mind is a muscle that you can strengthen. From my experience, this allows you to understand that there is nothing inherently wrong with you for feeling or thinking a certain way.
Know that you are not your thoughts, and, honestly, you’re more than halfway there.
2. Understand the Source of Your Anxiety
You know that your anxiety doesn’t define you. Now what?
The definition of anxiety tells us that anxiety is a byproduct of uncertainty. We are too fixated on the future, what we want out of it, and how we think we’re going to get there. We worry that we may not get the things that we want easily, or get them at all.
Feeling this way about the future is the compass you may need to figure out what you really want and what is important to you. Acknowledge that the source of your concern is telling you something.
Your anxiety may be letting you know that, in some small or big way, there’s something happening in your life that is not aligned with what you truly want. If that’s the case, use your anxiety as a lead. Don’t try to run away from whatever is causing you what you feel. Accept.
3. Own the Narrative
Once you’re familiar with what is causing you nervousness and what is important to you, you can get to work on reframing your relationship with it in a healthy way.
Follow the lead of your thoughts and feelings and see where they take you. For me, mindfulness plays a significant role in this, and I tend to achieve that by journaling or meditating on whatever is causing me anxiety. When I do this, I am not only present but also conscious of where my thoughts are leading me- which means that the narrative can finally be mine.
In short, by accepting and surrendering to your emotions, you can calm your mind and take control of the narrative. How do you choose to reframe your anxiety? The choice is yours.
4. Harness Your Focus and Motivation
Once you’re able to calm your mind and reframe your thoughts, the pent-up energy and motivation that are the byproducts of anxiety are available for you to harness.
Anxiety is a strong, powerful emotion and we can siphon off this energy in an unhurried and gentle manner to prevent ourselves from getting overwhelmed.
Personally, I try to achieve this by establishing a recurring, gentle flow of action that makes me feel accomplished and calm. I am working to empty my mind by being creative and present as opposed to filling it with more stimulation.
Try making a to-do list containing small, actionable items that serve your values and goals, or allow 10 minutes each morning to journal. Empty your mind by getting to work, and harness the power of your anxiety.
So that’s it. Acceptance, surrender, and calmness are the steps that I go through to access power of my anxiety. Hope they can be useful for you as well.