The Purpose of Anxiety and the Importance of Balance: Part 1

02/28/2025

Key Takeaways

01. There actually is a purpose to anxiety– it plays a crucial protective role, alerting us to potential dangers and motivating us to take action.

02. The history of anxiety reveals its long-standing presence in human experience, evolving from ancient philosophical views to modern medical understanding.

03. Healthy anxiety helps us respond to stress and challenges, while unhealthy anxiety can overwhelm and disrupt daily life.

04. Managing anxiety through quick strategies, long-term habits, and tools like The Shift anxiety breathing necklace can help you regain control and find calm.

Creating a Healthy Relationship With the Body’s Natural Stress Response

Anxiety is something we all experience at different points in our lives, but do we truly understand its purpose? The purpose of anxiety goes beyond just feeling uncomfortable or stressed. It actually plays a critical role in how we perceive and respond to the world around us. It’s that protective instinct that alerts us to potential danger or motivates us to take action.

However, when anxiety becomes overwhelming or constant, it can become a wellness obstacle rather than a helpful tool. In this article, we’ll explore the true purpose of anxiety, why it’s important to recognize its role, and how understanding it can help you manage stress in healthier, more effective ways, like using an anxiety breathing necklace.

Whether you're looking to improve your mental well-being or simply curious about how anxiety affects your life, part 1 of this blog series offers some valuable insights to regain control and find balance. Make sure to check out part 2 for strategies on harnessing the benefits of anxiety.

The Root of Anxiety: A History

Anxiety has been part of the human experience for thousands of years, long before it had a name or clear explanation. While ancient philosophers observed its symptoms—racing thoughts, unexplained fears, and persistent worry— understanding and treating it would take centuries of progress. Anxiety may seem like a modern epidemic, but its roots run deep through human history, reflecting evolving beliefs about health, emotions, and the human mind.

Anxiety in Ancient Civilizations

The earliest known accounts of anxiety-like symptoms date back to 5,000 BC, where ancient Indian texts described conditions resembling post-traumatic stress. By the time of the Greco-Roman era, anxiety had become a subject of philosophical and medical inquiry. Thinkers like Hippocrates and Cicero observed behaviors and emotions that we’d now recognize as anxiety symptoms, such as irrational fears and constant worry. Cicero described anxiety as “a perpetual agitation of the soul.” These symptoms were often linked to physical imbalances or diseases within the body.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, believed anxiety was caused by an imbalance in the body’s “humors,” a system of fluids thought to govern health and emotions. Roman philosophers like Seneca emphasized the role of thoughts and the mind, suggesting that anxiety arose when people became trapped in cycles of fear about the future. This interplay between physical and mental causes laid the groundwork for centuries of exploration and identifying the purpose of anxiety.

From "Melancholia" to Modern Understanding

For centuries, anxiety was a mystery, often brushed off as part of vague emotional conditions like “melancholia” in the 1600s. Back then, doctors blamed “vapors” or bodily disturbances, missing the deeper psychological causes. This lack of understanding meant anxiety was lumped together with other disorders, making it nearly impossible to treat as its own issue.

The tide began to turn in the 18th century when French physicians introduced the term “panophobia” to describe an overwhelming, irrational fear—something we might now call generalized anxiety disorder. Slowly, doctors realized what they thought was one big problem could actually be broken into smaller, more specific conditions.

By the late 19th century, anxiety finally started getting the spotlight. In 1869, “neurasthenia” was coined to describe symptoms like tension, fatigue, and worry. Then came Sigmund Freud, who dove into anxiety as a reaction to hidden conflicts and fears, laying the groundwork for modern therapy.

The real game-changer arrived in 1952 with the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). For the first time, anxiety disorders had clear definitions. By the 1980s, the DSM-III had broken anxiety into categories like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder, opening the door to targeted treatments like therapy and medication that we still use today.

Why the History of Anxiety Matters

Looking back at the history of anxiety helps us understand how far we’ve come in recognizing and addressing it– even though we still have so much progress to make. It also highlights that anxiety isn’t a modern invention—it’s an enduring part of what it means to be human. There truly is a purpose of anxiety.

Ancient philosophers and physicians puzzled over the same symptoms we experience today, reminding us that we’re not alone in this struggle.

The Purpose of Anxiety and Why It’s Important

Anxiety often gets a bad reputation, but it serves an essential purpose. While chronic anxiety can be overwhelming, anxiety in its intended form is one of the body’s most valuable tools. It evolved to help us survive and thrive in challenging situations. Anxiety is a signal—a reminder from our minds and bodies to pay attention, take action, and adapt.

Anxiety as a Built-In Safety Mechanism

Think about the last time you faced a situation requiring heightened awareness, like driving down a dark highway in a rainstorm. Your heart rate increased, your senses sharpened, and your focus zeroed in on the road. That heightened state of awareness is anxiety doing its job. It’s your body’s way of saying, "Pay attention—this could be dangerous."

Anxiety triggers the stress response, commonly known as “fight, flight, or freeze.” This physiological reaction floods your system with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, preparing you to respond to threats. Thousands of years ago, this response helped our ancestors avoid predators or navigate treacherous terrain. Today, it might prompt you to drive cautiously during a storm, as we described above, or lock your doors at night.

When functioning as intended, anxiety protects you. It heightens your vigilance, sharpens your reflexes, and motivates you to avoid or address potential danger. Without this mechanism, humanity might not have survived the countless challenges our ancestors faced.

Anxiety as a Motivator

Beyond physical safety, there’s another purpose of anxiety. It motivates us to take action. Without anxiety, you might procrastinate endlessly, feeling no urgency to complete a task. But anxiety—the thought that you could fall behind or disappoint your team—pushes you to focus, prioritize, and get the job done.

In small doses, anxiety can spur productivity and problem-solving. A little stress before a big test might encourage you to study harder. A concern about your health might prompt you to schedule that long-overdue doctor’s appointment. In these instances, anxiety acts as an internal alarm clock, reminding you to address the things that matter most.

Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, psychologist and author of Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad), explains that anxiety is inherently future-focused. It forces us to anticipate challenges and think critically about how to navigate them. This forward-thinking aspect can help us grow, achieve our goals, and prepare for what’s ahead.

A Tool, Not an Enemy

The key to benefiting from anxiety is understanding that it’s a tool. Just as a knife can be used to prepare a meal or cause harm, anxiety’s impact depends on how it’s wielded. In healthy amounts, it enhances focus, encourages preparation, and even fosters resilience. But when it becomes overwhelming, it can hinder rather than help.

By shifting how we view anxiety—from a burden to a resource—we can harness its benefits. Remind yourself that there is a purpose of anxiety. Rather than resisting every anxious thought or feeling, we can ask ourselves: What is this trying to tell me? Maybe it’s a call to slow down, focus, or make a change.

Healthy Anxiety vs. Unhealthy Anxiety

Anxiety exists on a spectrum, from the fleeting nerves before a job interview to the overwhelming panic that disrupts your ability to function. Understanding the purpose of anxiety is important, but it’s also essential to know the distinction between healthy and unhealthy anxiety– this is key to harnessing its benefits and addressing its challenges.

What Is Healthy Anxiety?

As mentioned earlier, anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress or uncertainty. Think of it as your internal alarm system, nudging you to focus, prepare, or stay safe. For example, the slight nervousness before a big presentation often prompts you to rehearse more, ensuring you're ready. Healthy anxiety motivates actions like studying for exams or planning for a family trip. This is the purpose of anxiety– a functional response that ensures we’re prepared and alert when we need to be.

When Does Anxiety Become Unhealthy?

Unhealthy anxiety goes beyond occasional worry or stress. It’s excessive, persistent, and often disconnected from any specific threat. This type of anxiety doesn’t motivate or protect you—it overwhelms you, making it difficult to focus or enjoy life.

Key characteristics of unhealthy anxiety:

It’s Intense and Long-Lasting: Unlike healthy anxiety that subsides when the “danger” is gone, unhealthy anxiety lingers. It persists for weeks, months, or longer, even when there’s no immediate concern.
It Impacts Your Daily Life: Unhealthy anxiety disrupts relationships, work, or routines.
It’s Accompanied by Physical Symptoms: Pathological anxiety often causes physical manifestations, such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, or panic attacks.

Imagine being so anxious about a routine work meeting that you call in sick or feeling constant dread about things outside your control, like the weather or the economy. These are signs that anxiety is no longer developing the way it should. The purpose of anxiety is not to negatively impact your life in this way.

The Fine Line Between the Two

The difference between healthy and unhealthy anxiety lies in the degree to which it affects your life. A little nervousness about an upcoming deadline can motivate you to work harder, but if the anxiety paralyzes you to the point where you can’t even start the task, it’s crossed into unhealthy territory.

Recognizing the difference between healthy and unhealthy anxiety is crucial because it allows you to respond appropriately. If your anxiety feels manageable and helps you tackle challenges, you can embrace it as a helpful tool. However, if it feels overwhelming and disrupts your life, it may be time to seek support through self-help strategies, therapy, or other interventions.

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Harnessing the Purpose of Anxiety

Understanding the purpose of anxiety is a game-changer when it comes to managing it! While it might feel overwhelming at times, anxiety actually has a positive role to play—it’s there to alert us, keep us safe, and even motivate us when we need that extra push. Once we understand that, we can stop seeing anxiety as the enemy and start using it to our advantage.

Instead of letting it hold us back, we can channel that energy into taking action and harnessing it for good. Remember, anxiety doesn’t have to call the shots. With a little mindset shift and some practical steps, you can build a healthier, more empowered relationship with it. So, why not start today? Embrace the purpose behind your anxiety, and turn it into something that works for you, not against you!

Interested in how to shift away from unhealthy anxiety and take control of this inherent biological response? Take a look at Part 2 of this blog series for methods to maintain the healthy purpose of anxiety while avoiding the unhealthy pitfalls.

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