Anxiety is your body’s response to threats, either actual or perceived. Your breathing rate might increase, your heart might start pounding, you could feel butterflies in your stomach, and you might get a burst of energy. Everyone feels anxious at times, and a certain level of anxiety is normal and even helpful in some situations. Anxiety is your body’s way of keeping you safe. For instance, imagine you’re walking home and you’re dragging your feet because you’re tired. Out of the corner of your eye, you think you see a snake. Suddenly, you forget how tired you are and have a burst of energy that helps you to get out of harm’s way.

Anxiety can also motivate you and help you power through. For example, if you feel a bit anxious about an assignment or an exam or a job interview, anxiety helps motivate you to study or prepare. However, feeling too much anxiety about something, or feeling anxiety that’s not connected to an obvious challenge, isn’t helpful. It can get in the way of your day-to-day activities and affect your quality of life.