We often see anxiety as an enemy, but the right amount of anxiety is like a car’s accelerator: too little, and you won’t move forward; too much, and you may lose control; just the right amount can push your focus and energy to a peak. This can be understood through the Inverted-U Hypothesis \u2014 performance is best when your level of arousal is moderate.<\/p>\n
How can you tell if you are at the “just right” level? With moderate anxiety, your heart beats a little faster, your mind feels clear, and you feel ready to act. With too much anxiety, you may breathe rapidly, feel stomach discomfort, or repeatedly check and avoid things. With too little anxiety, you feel unmotivated, easily distracted, and procrastinate.<\/p>\n
To adjust anxiety to the ideal level, try these three steps:<\/p>\n
First, prepare thoroughly. Break big tasks into small steps, set a time and standard for each step, and focus on what you can control.<\/p>\n
Second, stabilize your body and mind. Practice square breathing (inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again for equal counts of 4 seconds), do short stretches, imagine success, and create a fixed “pre-performance routine.”<\/p>\n
Third, use kind self-talk. Change “I must not fail” into “I am getting there step by step.”<\/p>\n
Besides, before an exam, interview, or speech, rate your anxiety on a scale of 1 to 10, and aim to keep it between 4 and 6. If it goes above 7, pause, take deep breaths, walk around or drink some water, then return to your main task. Also, remember the basics: regular sleep, moderate exercise, and a balanced diet. If anxiety remains high and affects your sleep, appetite, or mood, please seek professional help.<\/p>\n
Learning to manage anxiety helps you perform at your best.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We often see anxiety as an enemy, but the right amount of anxiety is like a car’s accelerator: too little, and you won’t move forward; too much, and you may lose control; just the right amount can push your focus and energy to a peak. This can be understood through the Inverted-U Hypothesis \u2014 performance […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12935,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[74,83,55,84,85,86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-general-public","category-new-articles","category-parents","category-teachers-youth-workers","category-youth"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n