GROWTH Step 5      Turn Anxiety into Optimal Energy

Keep yourself moving ahead even when you want to stop

This step indicates how we can turn anxiety into something positive.

“When we stay within our comfort zones, we don’t experience much anxiety, but we don’t experience much growth. Knowing exactly how to make the most of our worries is something that inevitably comes up as we get closer to our goals. With no anxiety you get no results. With too much, you get poor results, But with the right amount, you get great results” (pp 68/69)

Larina offers an interesting definition of anxiety, suggesting that it  is simply energy with an unfavorable interpretation.She also suggests that trying to avoid anxiety is like pushing a beachball down into the swimming pool. The harder you push it down, the higher it pops back up.

Her answer is deceptively simple, though initially counter-intuitive – simply allow yourself to experience the anxiety, and it will work for you rather than against you. Psychologically, the more you try to suppress a thought, the more that thought recurs.(How often do you actually calm down after some well-meaning person suggests that you calm down?)

She makes another counter-intuitive suggestion, that acceptance entails two things:

  • A willingness to experience all feelings and events
  • The ability to use the energy which you would usually use to try to suppress the thoughts and feelings that you find disturbing toward acting ion accordance with your values

Recent studies have shown that this works, and that having a sense of control in your job leads to improved performance

The author suggests that Step 6 is the most important step, so we’ll devote a whole posting to it.

Stick around

Bob