Anxiety Is Your Friend: What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You

Earlyn Sharpe
Jun 3
4 min read

Updated: Aug 22

Author: Earlyn Sharpe, M.A.

Anxiety isn't your enemy; it's your way of your body signalling that something is wrong

We spend so much time trying to silence anxiety that we forget—it has something to say. Anxiety is not always the enemy; sometimes, it’s the messenger. It may be alerting you to slow down, change course, or finally address what you’ve been avoiding.

When you listen to anxiety with curiosity instead of judgment, you begin to hear the wisdom beneath the worry. Your body is not betraying you—it’s guiding you.

Anxiety isn’t your enemy; it’s your body’s way of signalling that something is wrong. Instead of resisting, explore what your anxiety might be trying to communicate.

Stop and Listen

For a long time, my body was screaming at me, and I didn’t even realize it.

Anxiety Was Seen as an Enemy

Growing up, I was told anxiety was the enemy. It’s the shadow we chase away, the whisper we stuff, the weight we medicate. We label it as the dark side, pushing it away when it creeps in.

But what if anxiety isn’t the enemy? What if anxiety is our friend?

What if anxiety is a messenger our body is using to tell us something, something we desperately need to hear but aren’t listening to?

Anxiety as a Signal, Not a Sentence

Imagine anxiety as an alarm, not a curse. It’s like a smoke detector, going off when there’s smoke. It might be annoying, but it means you’re not on fire yet. Anxiety isn’t there to sentence you to a life of fear; it’s there to signal you when something isn’t right.

The signals might be about danger in your environment, someone overstepping their boundaries, or your body being in a state of depletion.

In all of those examples, too often, we ignore the signal. We stop for a second and ask the question:

What the hell is going on?

We then focus on the cause and work through that.

In our anxious lives, we do the exact opposite. We see the anxiety as the problem. We fight it and suffer from it rather than finding out why it is here.

The Wisdom in Your Body

Our body is not just a walking lump of meat. It’s a brilliant, wise vessel that is constantly communicating with us. Anxiety can be one of those ways.

We can see that anxiety affects the body in many ways in the body.

A racing heart, tight chest, shallow breathing, fast thoughts, sweaty palms, nausea, headaches, numbness, and more.

All these things are our body’s way of trying to let us know something.

They all serve the same function but in different ways and from different branches.

The key is to change our relationship with anxiety.

From the whisper in the back of our heads saying ‘nope, not now,’ to a guide taking us to the path of clarity and groundedness.

Ask Your Anxiety Questions

The only way to really do this is to start befriending your anxiety. The next time you feel that rush, stop and ask:

What is my body trying to tell me right now?

Anxiety, no longer our enemy but now our friend, has something to say to us. It’s shouting in your ear, but try not to resist it. Don’t fight it; let it speak. Here is what it is saying to you.

You Don’t Align with This

Your energy doesn’t align with this.

Slow the Fuck Down

Slow the fuck down.

Say No, Please

Say no, please.

You Need Rest

You need rest.

The answer is there, but we have to stop and listen.

It takes a second, and then you are back on your path.

Practical Steps to Befriend Anxiety

Pause and breathe. Your body is reacting to a lack of safety. The first step in overcoming anxiety is to slow down and bring your nervous system back to a place of safety.

Journal the anxious thought. Anxiety thrives on the unknown, so naming the feeling can help dissipate its power. Write down what you’re feeling and label it as anxiety.

Ask: Is this fear based in reality or my imagination? Challenge the anxious thoughts by questioning their validity. Is there actual evidence to support your fears, or are they based on what-ifs and worst-case scenarios?

Move your body. Anxiety loves excess energy. It attaches itself to the nervous system so that we can move out of harm’s way. Do something physical to release that energy, like running, dancing, or hitting a punching bag.

Speak to it kindly: ‘Thank you for protecting me, but I am safe.’ Remind your body and your anxiety that you have the situation under control. Anxiety wants us to survive, not just live. Let it know you’re safe so that it can chill out.

The next time you feel anxiety creep up, take a moment before pushing it away. Instead, open up and let it in. Anxiety might just be the best friend you never knew you had.

Reflection: Instead of asking, ‘How do I get rid of my anxiety?’ ask, ‘What is my anxiety trying to teach me?’