Understanding and Managing Anxiety: A Journey into Your Inner World

Most people don’t know I’ve suffered from panic attacks my entire life. I struggled when I was younger to go to the movies because, “what if I die or get sick?” It’s not rational and doesn’t make sense. But it felt very real for me. We also typically don’t share it openly because it may seem like a weakness, especially in business.

What’s interesting is anxiety impacts all of us differently. It could be that impending doom feeling you get or a racing heart, sweaty palms, mind going a mile a minute. It’s not fun, but here’s the kicker: it’s also not your enemy.

In fact, if we listen to what Dr. Carl Jung had to say, anxiety might just be trying to tell us something important.

Now, I’m not here to get all textbook on you. But Jung, this Swiss psychiatrist with some pretty wild ideas, had a take on anxiety that might just change how you see those nervous feelings.

Jung believed that anxiety wasn’t just some random glitch in our brains. He saw it as a signal from our unconscious mind, trying to get our attention. It’s like your mind’s way of waving a red flag saying, “Hey, pay attention! Something’s out of whack here!”

So, what’s this unconscious mind Jung was so obsessed with? Think of it as the part of your mind that’s working behind the scenes. It’s storing all sorts of memories, feelings, and ideas that you’re not always aware of. And sometimes, when something in your life isn’t sitting right with this deeper part of you, anxiety pops up to let you know.

Here’s why this matters:

1. It gives anxiety a purpose: It’s not just there to make you miserable. It’s trying to help, in its own clumsy way. I know at the moment it can be terrifying, but stop and think about what it’s really saying to you.
2. It invites self-reflection: Instead of just trying to get rid of anxiety, we can ask, “What’s this trying to tell me?” This is an extension of my first point. It’s important not to ignore the feeling or run away from it. Really approach it with curiosity instead of dread.
3. It suggests a different approach: Fighting anxiety often just makes it worse. Understanding it might be the key.
4. It connects us to our deeper selves: Anxiety might be a path to understanding parts of ourselves we’ve been ignoring.

So, how can we use this perspective to deal with anxiety? Here are some ideas:

1. Get curious: Next time anxiety hits, try asking, “What’s really going on beneath the surface here? Or “Is there something I should be doing that I am not that’s creating this feeling?” For me, sometimes it’s putting things off to the last possible minute and then feel immense pressure to make it perfect.
2. Look for patterns: Does your anxiety show up in certain situations? With certain people? There might be a message there. Not trying to hint anything here, but if specific individuals create these feelings, you must unpack that to understand the reason.
3. Dialogue with your anxiety: Jung was big on this. Try imagining your anxiety as a character and have a conversation with it. Sounds weird, I know, but it can be surprisingly insightful. It’s okay to talk to yourself by the way, everyone does it.
4. Explore your dreams: Jung believed dreams were messages from the unconscious. Keeping a dream journal might give you clues about what’s causing your anxiety. Have you noticed your dreams are so vivid when you wake up and after a few minutes you forget them? Imagine if you quickly jotted them down each more and then went back to review later.
5. Consider the shadow: Jung talked about the ‘shadow’ – parts of ourselves we reject or ignore. Could your anxiety be related to these disowned parts? This is the struggle we all deal with. Living our authentic self, but if you’re okay with your flaws as much as your strengths, there is no shadow.
6. Balance opposites: Jung believed in the importance of balancing different aspects of our personality. Is your anxiety pointing to an imbalance? Really look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. If you know you’re not exercising, but obsessing about your future health. That’s an imbalance and you must have that conversation versus deflecting the feeling.
7. Seek meaning: Instead of just trying to feel better, ask what your anxiety might be pushing you towards. Could it be growth? Change?

I’m not saying you should throw out your other coping strategies (and by the way, not giving you clinical advice either) so find a professional for help. But I can share what’s helped me over the years. Talking openly about my fears and being okay to look at different perspectives so it might give me a new way to approach anxiety.

Here’s a personal example: I used to get really anxious about public speaking. But when I dug deeper, I realized it was connected to a fear of being judged, which was tied to some old childhood stuff. Understanding that didn’t make the anxiety disappear, but it did make it feel less overwhelming. It became a sign that I was pushing my boundaries, not a sign that something was wrong with me.

I am not sharing this to glorify anxiety or saying it’s always meaningful. Sometimes, anxiety is just our brain’s alarm system going off unnecessarily. But approaching it with curiosity instead of fear can open up new paths to understanding ourselves.

After all, as Jung said, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Maybe anxiety is just your unconscious mind’s awkward way of trying to start a conversation.