The Australian Women's Weekly

Anxiety can be a superpower

Anxiety itself is very much a part of our common human experience. It’s the result of living in this uncertain, ever-changing world – a result of being human! Our brains are hard-wired to experience anxiety. It is an inherent, self-protective mechanism. If we perceive something to be dangerous or threatening, our brain triggers a stress reaction called the fight or flight response – a neurochemical process that prepares our body to run or stay and fight to protect yourself against the perceived threat. This is what we experience as anxiety. And I can say firsthand anxiety isn’t a flaw or a weakness (which is why I avoid words such as ‘disorder’ or ‘illness’). We need to let go of ideas about anxiety meaning you are ‘not

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