Hi, Shamash here.

I've been asked the question,

is anxiety always a bad thing?

I can imagine you're going through lots of

anxious feelings right now and wondering

if it's somehow bad or causing you harm.

That's not an easy position to be in.

Well, let me reassure you that the

feeling of anxiety is certainly not

bad for you or a bad thing either.

Anxiety is a normal human reaction

that everybody experiences.

Whether you're faced with a

challenge, such as giving a talk at

work, having an important meeting,

you're likely to experience anxiety.

Anxiety is simply the body's

natural stress system triggering,

preparing you for danger.

Some stress and anxiety is actually

good for your body from time to time.

It shows you're challenging yourself

rather than avoiding difficulties.

I experience anxiety too, of course.

When I have an important live class

that I need to deliver to an audience,

or it's a new topic that I'm teaching,

I usually feel anxious in the

run-up and also during the talk too.

Although I don't enjoy the

feeling as such, I remind

myself that it is a good thing.

I'm feeling the anxiety because I

care about doing a good job and that

care is what's causing the anxiety.

In the past.

I've always thought of anxiety

is a purely bad experience to be

avoided or fixed as soon as I can.

But I don't think that's

the best attitude.

So feeling anxious from time to

time is actually no problem at all.

Especially, if you don't let it

impact your day-to-day activities.

It's a normal experience to have.

Anxiety becomes an issue when you

feel its intensity never seems to give

you a break, or if you keep having

attacks of fear, sometimes called

anxiety attacks or panic attacks.

Once the anxiety begins to interfere

with your everyday activities and

relationships, that's when, you know

you need to do something about it.

You should be able to do whatever

you find meaningful in your life,

even if you experience anxiety.

If you're finding your anxiety

is controlling, you, that's

a sign to take some action.

So the feeling itself isn't bad, but

letting that feeling control your life

is something that needs addressing.

And sometimes you need

help with that for sure.

The good news is the approaches that

I've shared with you in this app may

be enough to help you get back on

track and relate to anxiety in a way

that makes you feel back in control.

You can explore the feeling, learn to

step back from the feeling, and make

space for the feeling to be there

together with whatever you're doing.

And if you're still struggling

with the anxiety, don't hesitate

to seek professional help.

Good news is that anxiety is actually

one of the most treatable, mental

health challenges, with many therapists

saying that you'll feel much more in

control in just five to eight sessions.

So hopefully that helped.

Thank you so much for listening into this.

I do wish you all the very best

as you navigate your way through

your anxiety as best you can.

And I want to finish with a

friendly reminder to be kind with

yourself as you go through this

current challenge that you have.