Did you know there are TWO types of anxiety?

(By the way, there’s a difference between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder. This email is about the common, everyday experience of feeling anxious. I just want to make sure we don’t trivialize a mental health disorder that can be really challenging to deal with… ok, onwards.)

Your brain creates the feeling of anxiety for two reasons.

The first is to prevent you from dying.

So, if your brain thinks there’s a tiger in the bushes, or a robber hiding in a dark alley, or if you’re at risk of falling from a great height like this dingus...

… you get a shot of anxiety.

Your brain is basically saying, “Hey… you might die. So, exercise some caution here, would ya?”

But let’s be real, your life probably isn’t at risk very often. So, 90% of the time the life-and-death anxiety isn’t the type of anxiety you’re experiencing, even though it might feel like it.

Most people deal with the OTHER type of anxiety.

This second type of anxiety typically hits when you’re stepping outside your comfort zone, pushing your limits, or challenging yourself.

It’s the anxiety associated with growth.

Remember the first day of school?

Ever have to give a big presentation at work?

Have you gone back to the gym for the first time in a long break?

Need to have that conversation about the budget?

Has your partner ever challenged your opinion on something important?

You get that rush of adrenaline. Your heart rate increases. You can feel the butterflies in your stomach or tightness in your back. Your sweat glands go into overdrive.

That’s ALL Growth Anxiety.

It’s your brain saying, “Heeeeey! This is something we haven’t done before! Why didn’t I get notified? Are we ready? Are we SURE we’re not gonna die?”

If you push through Growth Anxiety, amazing things happen.

Just like an airplane needs wind resistance to create lift…

Or your muscles need to experience resistance to grow stronger…

The currency you must pay to become a better version of yourself is pushing through the resistance that comes from Growth Anxiety.

As you do this, you learn. You evolve. You become stronger and more resilient. 

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in life is confusing Growth Anxiety for keep-you-alive anxiety.

Do this and you’ll get stuck.

You’ll experience the same problems, arguments, and struggles over and over again.

Your life will be full of regrets, unfulfilled dreams, and broken relationships.

All this… because you treated a growth experience as if it were going to kill you.

Think about what’s causing you anxiety in life.

If it’s not going to kill you, ask yourself, “What’s the lesson I need to learn? What’s the growth I need to experience? What can I learn in order to turn the things that are worrying me into things that I can manage with confidence?

What did you think of this post? Learn anything? Let me know in the comments...