Anxiety vs Excitement: Take a Step Forward | @caroline-cavanagh | Anxiety Specialist

But because of the societal focus on anxiety, we are starting to misinterpret anxiety for excitement, because in the body they feel very, very similar. And the way I say to people is, if you know you're going to do it anyway, that's excitement. And anxiety, which is very— it's like a cousin very closely behind, is going to help you to perform better in doing whatever you're going to do. And again, one of those pivotal moments, I decided it would be a really good idea to jump from an aeroplane at 15,000 feet with a complete stranger strapped to my back and just a piece of silk above my head. Why would that be sensible? But it felt like a good idea. And so I signed up for it. And then in the airfield, all kitted up in my orange suit, I was like, what the fuck am I doing? You know, and it was just like, oh my God, I've been to the toilet for the 46,000th time. Getting out this suit isn't fun. But I was gonna get on that plane. It wasn't anxiety that was the dominant emotion, it was excitement. Having jumped out of the plane and landed, the first thing I wanted to do was go and do it again because I've now had that experience. I've stepped outside the comfort zone. Let's do it again.