Leveraging Anxiety

This summer, I’ve been in the trenches with all of you, working on HUGE, complicated projects

I’m happy to report that I’m wrapping up my final chapter of my first time management book for McGraw Hill and should be able to easily turn in the manuscript early. Although this has been a very intense two months, it’s been fantastic to see that my principles withstand the test of extremely challenging circumstances. Plus, I’ve learned some important new lessons that I’m looking forward to sharing with you. One of them is this:

The Importance of Leveraging Anxiety

It may seem odd for me to encourage you to “leverage anxiety.” Isn’t anxiety bad or simply some sort of mental weakness?

Well, yes, and no.

On the one hand, anxiety separated from reality can have all sorts of counterproductive effects like causing you to shut down under pressure or to frantically throw yourself into an activity. We don’t want to allow emotional compulsions to control us so in these instances working on your mental game with positive affirmations or meditation can really help.But when anxiety rises in you based on the recognition of a true problem, you shouldn’t ignore it, but leverage it.

I recently wrote a guest post for the99Percent.com on how to use Past, Present, and Future Focus to not get overwhelmed by big projects.

But if you’re using the techniques I describe in this post, and still start to feel anxious, you can channel that sensation into productive action in these ways:

Leveraging Anxiety over Past Focus:

Big Picture: If reviewing actual numbers from past projects makes you anxious about your current project, this is a sign that you may need to ask for a deadline extension or extra support.
Day-to-Day: If you evaluate your weekly progress and start to feel anxious, that’s a signal that you need to start allocating more time to your main project or push yourself to move through it at a faster pace.

Leveraging Anxiety over Present Focus:

Big Picture: If looking over your weekly or monthly schedule raises your anxiety, see what other responsibilities you can eliminate or delay until later. Even if you’ve already agreed to something, it’s often better to back out early than to try to do everything and let everyone down.
Day-to-Day: If your daily progress (or lack of progress) causes you stress, do whatever it takes to get focused. Go to an Internet-free location, install blocking software or uninstall tempting programs, turn off your phone, listen to music, and use this anxiety to lock you in on your goal.

Leveraging Anxiety over Future Focus:

Big Picture: If thinking of what comes after you finish your big project makes you anxious, you may need to start doing some exploratory research. It could be as simple as talking with someone who has done what you’re doing before or thinking through the big picture steps of what will need to be done. Try to identify what actually makes you afraid and to address that fear directly.
Day-to-Day: If you’ve mapped out the next micro-level steps and you still feel afraid to execute, it may be time to get someone to help you do the work, teach you a new skill, or at least give you feedback. If you don’t know what you’re doing, admit it and get support.

Over the course of writing my book, I’ve experienced anxiety in all of these areas. But instead of denying my anxiety, I’ve leveraged it as a powerful force to take the steps that would drive me toward my goal and reinstate my sense of inner peace.

I hope you find these insights helpful in conquering the big challenges in your path.

“Getting rid of all traces of anxiety would be like successfully dismantling your house’s security system. Yes, things are quieter and more relaxed, but you won’t know you are in trouble until it’s too late.”
“Good Anxiety–and Bad” in Psychology Today

About Real Life E®

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management coach and best-selling author who empowers individuals who feel guilty, overwhelmed and frustrated to feel peaceful, confident and accomplished. She helps people struggling with new levels of responsibility after receiving a promotion or becoming a parent, who aren’t meeting expectations at work, or who need better work-life balance to overcome burnout.

Elizabeth was named one of the World’s Top 30 Time Management Professionals by Global Gurus every year since 2018 and is a member of Forbes Coaches Council. McGraw Hill published her first book The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success with Less Stress. Harvard Business Review published her second book How to Invest Your Time Like Money. And FaithWords published her third book Divine Time Management . Elizabeth regularly writes time management articles for Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox.