It seems every time I turn around, someone is talking about anxiety as if all anxiety is “disordered.” Not all anxiety is disordered, and in fact, a certain amount of anxiety is actually healthy. There is a generalized anxiety we should all have because life is built upon the unpredictable. I have witnessed the people I treat each day, including myself, turn anxiety into their greatest superpower. It comes down to mindset. To follow are nine ways to use anxiety to greatly benefit your benefit.

Pressure is a wonderful thing. It is when we’re under the intensity of high-pressured situations that we are the most alert. Our physiology responds automatically, putting us into the biological experience of fight-or-flight, where it feels like our very survival (reputation, closing a deal, relationship, promotion) may be at stake. Instead of viewing this anxiety as negative, train yourself to see it as fuel; the energy you need to jump into action to save your life. We need pressure to provoke us. Many procrastinators unconsciously lag, to allow for enough pressure to build, until they are forced into performing, or else face harsh consequences.

Life is about risk. Without risk, and the natural anxiety that goes along with it, we would never get outside of our comfort zone long enough to grow in our self-development. Excitement and anxiety are often confused, causing some to falsely interpret the intensity of their excitement as negative. We must train ourselves to embrace the unfamiliar, and what it feels like to be there. Happiness requires pushing through the anxieties of the unknown. The more we do this, the easier it gets, and the more successful, confident and trusting of ourselves we become.

When we’re feeling “anxious,” we could also simply be in touch with our gut instinct. Oftentimes, the right answer grabs our attention by sending us strong doses of intense fear or anxiety. Fear shocks us into paying attention. The best response when experiencing intense emotion, is to slow down and give the negative feeling a moment’s attention. The more we ignore our impulses, the more impulsive we become when making decisions. Trust there is no emergency to act right now. Slow down, and listen to what is underneath the anxiety. This gives us the best opportunity to make the correct decisions.

The more anxious we are, the more responsible we tend to be with our time, and as a side benefit, the more respectful we naturally are of other people’s time. When we’re anxious, it is largely because we want to make a good impression and give our best work. We desire to be seen as valuable, at the top of our game and essential to the continuity of the whole. Feelings of anxiety create the discomfort we need to get things done, acting much like an internal alarm clock; making us great managers of time.

Anxiety is a powerful tool when it comes to sensing and observing our environment and the people in it. It makes us more sensitive and perceptive to the subtleties in people, what their character may be, and if we can or cannot trust them. It operates much like a Morse Code. This is a true gift when trying to assess or predict the behavioral patterns of others. This hyper-awareness aids us in making better decisions in partners, in how we communicate, who we communicate with, and who we choose to bring in, or keep out of our lives.

The more anxiety we have, the more our thoughts bounce from one topic to the next. The more thoughts we entertain, the more innovative we have the potential of being. For this reason, it would be wise for us to carry a pen and paper at all times to release our thoughts onto the paper without judgment. Once onto paper, these thoughts become separate things from us; allowing us to view them with more clarity. Writing helps us decipher the relevant from the irrelevant, and to move on the ideas that are the most beneficial to us.

Nervous energy can be incredibly productive when channeled correctly. We can use this active energy to broaden our focus, and to take on more than one task at a time. Happiness and fulfillment require consistent attention, and a focus that is open, flexible and fast-moving. If we mess up in the moment, we must be able to keep going. Active energy is attractive and contagious. For this reason, we must channel our energy to be as productive as possible, as this will inspire others to pick up their own pace.

When we feel anxious, it brings us face-to-face with our self-doubt. It takes time and effort to work through our fears and doubts. There is no stronger a force than anxiety to get us in touch with our inner coach. If we’re experiencing a tremendous amount of anxiety, our self-talk will get us to, at the very least, take the next step in our process. Once we make it to that next step, feel released from some of the pressure, we can better talk ourselves into the taking the next step. This is how we succeed; one-step-at-a-time.

Anxiety is 100 percent necessary. It’s healthy and consuming enough to drive us towards wanting more from of ourselves, our lives, business and other people. We would do well to avoid using natural, healthy anxiety as an excuse to underperform, or to avoid the pressures of our responsibilities. We must be careful when throwing the word anxiety around, as it may initially get us some empathy and more time to get our things done, but eventually this excuse will wear thin, and we will no longer be taken seriously.

Editor’s note: Deconstructing Stigma: A Change in Thought Can Change a Life is a public awareness campaign developed by McLean Hospital to spark conversation not only about behavioral and mental health but also about the stigma that surrounds it. The campaign features compelling stories from people across the United States who have been affected by mental illness, including Clare’s story below.

By Clare C.

It has been more than six months since I’ve woken up in a psychiatric hospital, my longest separation from inpatient treatment since 2012. Over the years, the overwhelming pressure I placed on myself to be a good student, a good friend, and a good daughter led me to suicidal thoughts.

I’m constantly over-thinking things: Am I weird? Am I okay? Do they like being my friend? I feel like I am one hair trigger away from being rejected, and that’s the worst pain.

Making matters worse was the sense that not everyone felt my illness—borderline personality disorder—was legitimate. I got that sense among, most surprisingly, those I sought help from: members of law enforcement, EMTs, and hospital staff who acted as if my illness was a nuisance.

I also noticed the topic was an unwelcome one among family members and friends.

We have the ice bucket challenge for ALS and breast cancer awareness and the diabetes walk. You can post about those on social media, but if you say you’re mentally ill, people are like, “What’s wrong with you?”

Despite my insecurity, I feel remarkably at home and confident on stage. In front of the microphone, I belt out songs from the ‘60s at local pubs.

Sometimes I’m so focused on hitting notes that I just feel free.

I continue to see a psychiatrist and a therapist regularly. I hope to get my master’s degree in healthcare informatics, a specialty that may sound nerdy, but it’s fast changing and challenging.

Mental illness can make you feel unstable. I want to find a career that I love. I want some sense of stability.

Clare is a 28-year-old singer from Massachusetts. To read more about Deconstructing Stigma and to meet more people like her, visit DeconstructingStigma.org.

If you or someone you know needs help, call 1.800.273.8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HELLO to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the US, please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.

Brenda Li initially started Summer and Muu Comics to chronicle life after marriage, as well as to provide a creative outlet for herself (she used to be a visual effects artist for movies like “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Thor”). Once she became a mom, though, her focus in the comics shifted to parenting. 

Li draws on her experiences with her son, who’s now 22 months old, and her funny comics are deeply relatable. Li says that her son’s hobbies currently include “not sitting still, throwing food onto the floor, and doing the exact opposite of what Mommy says.” Sound familiar?

She’s found that motherhood has also changed her drawing style. “My characters and lines have simplified; not only because I enjoy a clean simple look, but finding the time to draw is very difficult now, so everything needs to be simple,” Li says. “Motherhood has also made me learned a new skill: drawing half asleep.”

And the comics have given Li perspective within motherhood: “By illustrating my daily struggles, I realize that there is always a cute and positive side to each hair-pulling scenario. I have learned that if you want to survive parenthood, you need to laugh about it.”

She hopes that parents can laugh at her comics ―”humor is the key to surviving parenthood,” says Li ― and realize they’re not alone. Check out Li’s sweet and funny comics below, which you can also find on Summer and Muu’s Facebook and Instagram pages. 

Before I had even been married for a year I was due with my first child. Yep, five weeks before my first wedding anniversary I was delivering my first son. I didn’t know anything about babies. I was an only child and each of my parents had passed away while I was in my twenties. Not a sob story, just fact.

So, in early September my husband and I were stuck in rush hour traffic while I hee-heed my way to the hospital. I wasn’t panicked but I was definitely anxious.

When we arrived at the hospital I was wheeled to my room and went into the restroom to change into my gown. There was a beautiful nurse standing there to help me and I said through the door, “I won’t miss these jeans, that’s for sure.” And, so sweetly, so lovingly, so tenderly, my husband said to me and the nurse, “She thinks she’s tired of them,” as if it had been such a burden on him to look at my hideous body in those horrid discount store jeans. In my head I was saying, “I thought I was having a baby but it appears that there is already one in the room. But, I was busy at that moment so I let it go.

We got pregnant much faster than we had anticipated and to say that we weren’t quite ready is an understatement. I took the pregnancy test on my birthday and went into the kitchen and told my husband the good news. He didn’t speak to me for two days. Somehow, I had managed to do this on my own.

Back to the delivery room, where we spent less than an hour. I was pretty speedy at popping out babies. It was an easy delivery, as if there is such a thing. Maybe because I made it look so easy my husband didn’t feel the enormity of the occasion: the enormity of having a small turkey come out of your private parts! I was wheeled into my room and got settled in with my new baby boy and my husband said to me, “Well, I have an 11 o’clock that I can still make.” And with that, he was gone.

I didn’t mind being alone with my baby. I loved him, and in those first few hours before real life set in it was just the two of us. I thought it would be three of us. I felt so lonely, so lonely. The only family I had was a day away so my husband was it for me. And, what first time dad would want to leave when he had a new baby boy? It just didn’t make sense to me. Being alone, no problem, but the loneliness that I felt in those first few hours of parenthood was crushing.

When I look back at that time I want to tell that young mother that what she was feeling was real, and justified and it wasn’t just in her head. That she wasn’t being needy, she was being normal. And sadly, that it would continue through the life of the marriage.

Now that about a million years have passed and I am no longer in the marriage, I know that the loneliness was real, it was not imagined or manufactured by me. That I told my husband often how lonely I was. That I was lonely when we were sitting in the same room.

Loneliness isn’t just in your head. You might feel neglected, or you might feel unappreciated, but all roads lead to loneliness. And, in my opinion, continued loneliness can lead to isolation: it creates a sadness that can’t quite be defined.

If you are spending a lot of time alone and you are happy, that’s great. But, if you are constantly around people and you are feeling lonely, take some action to figure out what you can do to climb out of that hole. It may be professional help or it may be that your marriage or relationship needs a tune up, but make the necessary changes to get you on the road to contentment.

By Anthea Levi

Warmer months don’t just bring sunshine — they can also present serious health hazards for our favorite furry friends. “Summer is the busiest time of year in the veterinary ER,” says Justine Lee, DVM, a board-certified veterinary emergency critical care specialist in Minneapolis. “Pet owners are jogging, picnicking, and enjoying the outdoors, and unfortunately we see more animals experience trauma because of it.” Follow this advice so your dog has a safer summer.

Nix ticks and fleas

Ticks, fleas and mosquitoes are much more common this time of year, and they cause all kinds of illnesses. “At the very least, ticks leave an itchy bite that can become infected, and at worst they can transmit diseases like Lyme,” says Kathryn Primm, DVM, owner of Applebrook Animal Hospital in Ooltewah, Tennessee. Fleas leave itchy bites, while mosquitoes may transmit severe conditions such as heartworm, which can damage an animal’s heart, lungs, and arteries if left untreated.

Protect your pooch with an oral tick and flea medication or topical gel for at least six months of the year. Prevent heartworm by opting for a separate oral therapy like Heartgard or an injection such as ProHeart. Check your pet for ticks daily and watch for symptoms like fever, swollen joints, lethargy, vomiting, weight loss, bruising, and cough, which may signal a tick- or mosquito-borne illness.

RELATED: What’s Your Pet Trying to Tell You? How to Read Your Dog’s Body Language

Practice safe picnics

“Accidental poisoning is common during the summer because people are picnicking and don’t actually know what’s poisonous for pets,” says Lee. If you bring your dog to an alfresco meal, skip dishes with raisins or grapes — both can cause severe kidney injury — or corn, since cobs can get lodged in a pup’s intestines. (And as you probably know, chocolate is a no-no.) If you’re worried your pet has swallowed something toxic — and are OK with a $65 consultation fee — call the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.

Avoid overheating

Add together the outdoor temperature in degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity percentage. “If the temperature plus the humidity is over 150, it’s way too hot to exercise your dog,” says Lee. A daytime walk is fine (just stay in the shade as much as possible), but if you want to run or Rollerblade with Rover on a hot day, it’s best to do so in the morning or evening and with a water bottle in hand. If you notice your dog panting excessively or exhibiting dark red or pink gums, it could be overheated. “Those are all signs you need to stop what you’re doing, cool your dog down, and get to a vet,” says Lee, since heatstroke can be fatal in dogs. Try hosing down your dog with cold (not ice) water or offering some H2O to sip on ASAP; then dial your vet.

RELATED: This Adorable Video Is a Good Reminder of Why You Shouldn’t Pet Service Dogs

Don’t plunge in

While some dogs live to swim, others, like pit bulls, prefer to stay on dry land. “Don’t force your dog to swim,” says Lee. “You can throw toys and see if he goes for them, but don’t carry your dog into the water. It may make him more fearful.” Worried about your animal’s ability to stay afloat? Invest in a dog life jacket (then take 200 photos of your pup wearing it).

Keep ’em furry

You may think you’re doing your dog a favor by shaving it, but fur is actually helpful in the summertime. For one, it keeps them cool. “If you look at fur, there’s both guard hair and longer hair. In the typical dog that doesn’t have curls, there’s an insular layer of air kept above that guard hair,” says Lee. (Think of it like the insulation in your house.) Their fur also blocks rays: Light-colored dogs with pink skin (like a white boxer) are more vulnerable, but any pup risks getting a burn when it’s shaved down to the skin. And fur also protects pups from the elements. A dog’s coat can help curb bug bites as well as any damage to the skin while you’re out and about — say, on a hike — during the summer.

5 Summer Safety Tips Every Dog Owner Should Know originally appeared on Health.com.

More from Health.com:

What You Need to Know About the Dog Flu Outbreak

Cat-Scratch Disease Is Making People Sicker, According to the CDC

Here’s Why Fireworks Scare Your Dog (and the New Drug That Might Help)

One of the worst things you can do to your body is doing nothing at all and unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle has become the norm in our culture. Sitting all day and leading an inactive lifestyle can have harmful, long-term effects to your employees’ health. According to Mayo Clinic, 50-70 percent of people sit at least six hours per day, and 20-35 percent of people spend over four hours every day watching TV.

With more than one-third of U.S. adults living with obesity, it’s more important now than ever to educate your employees on the effects of sitting too much and start working towards an active lifestyle. Check out this infographic below to learn a bit more about how a sedentary lifestyle affects the health and quality of life of your employees:

While a sedentary lifestyle can seem scary, the truth is there are a lot of things you can do to avoid these negative effects. It’s been shown that simply breaking up the time you spend sitting and focusing more on moving throughout the day can reverse the effects and help you become healthier overall.

As an employer, you have the power and resources to help your employees get moving. One of the easiest ways to do this is by encouraging them to walk more. Walking is an effective and simple way to get back into shape and stay in shape. Research has shown that regular walks help reduce the risk of chronic disease, control weight, and increase energy and productivity – just to name a few!

If you want your employees to be healthier, you want them to move more. But how can you promote walking in a traditional office space? Here are a few ideas for you:

Educate. First, start by educating your employees. You can’t encourage your employees to move more during the workday if the foundation isn’t there. Explain how walking is one of the most simple and effective forms of physical activity. Make sure your employees understand that they can be of any age or fitness level to benefit from walking. Provide your employees with the resources and education they need about the benefits of walking. Once informed, employees will be more inclined to get moving on their own!

Walk and talk. I love the idea of walking meetings. A walking meeting is an active replacement for a typical one-on-one cup of coffee or conference room chat. The benefits of this type of meeting are both physical and psychological – not to mention it’s a lot more fun than sitting in a stuffy conference room. Try taking a stroll with your employee the next time you have a less-formal meeting or discussion.

Start a walking club. Walking clubs help your employees move more and socialize at the same time. A simple 15-minute walk in the company parking lot will help your employees perk up when they’re facing that afternoon slump. Try dividing up walking clubs by team or division for some friendly competition. The team with the most participants or more walks after six months can win a prize!

Create challenges. Start thinking of some daily, weekly, or monthly walking challenges for employees. Challenge them to only take the stairs and skip the elevator for a full week. Challenge them to park in the furthest area of the parking lot for a month. You can offer incentives to employees for participating in these types of challenges.

Make it fun. Walking doesn’t always sound like the most exciting activity. Try to jazz it up! Make a company map to show the different walking routes employees can take in and around your building. Host a party for employees who participate in walking clubs and challenges. Post motivational signs next to the stairs with fun graphics to encourage employees to skip the elevator. You can even post success stories on your company website featuring employees who have changed their lifestyle from walking more and sitting less.

Incorporate wearables. Between Fitbits, Garmin, and Apple Watches, wearables are all the rage. Chances are, many of your employees already have some sort of fitness tracker or a device that is capable of tracking steps. Start incorporating these wearables into company culture and walking challenges. If your budget allows for it, fitness trackers can also serve as an awesome incentive to get your employees moving.

If you want your employees to move more, encouraging walking is a simple and effective first step. Try out some of these ideas to help your employees step out of their cubicles and get some steps in. You’ll get some healthier (and happier) employees out of it!

Most women don’t forget the very first time they were body-shamed.  

Founder and CEO of the athletic wear company Oiselle Sally Bergesen definitely remembers one of the first times she was body-shamed. “’Keep eating like that and you’re going to be a butterball.’ My Dad when I was 12,” Bergesen tweeted on May 25. 

In the same tweet, Bergesen asked followers to share their personal stories of being body-shamed with the hashtag #TheySaid.

The hashtag quickly gained momentum with hundreds of Twitter users sharing their body-shaming experiences. Some women shared stories of family members commenting on their weight gain, while others shared being body-shamed for being too skinny. 

Scroll below to read some of the #TheySaid tweets. (Story continues below.) 

An hour after Bergesen tweeted the #TheySaid hashtag, she created a new one: #SheReplied. The new hashtag was meant as a way to share responses to the body-shaming comments women experienced. 

“To be honest, those types of comments have been shown to be really harmful to me and others,” Bergesen tweeted as an example. 

(Story continues below.) 

Soon enough, more Twitter users started replying to the #SheReplied hashtag with their own awesome response to body-shaming comments. 

“All bodies are amazing! Too bad your attitude isn’t!” one user tweeted.

Another Twitter user’s response touched on why it’s so important to not blindly congratulate people for being skinny: “Skinny isn’t always healthy. Please ask me if I’m OK,” she tweeted.

Scroll below to read more #SheReplied tweets.  

Head over to Bergesen’s Twitter feed to read more #TheySaid and #SheReplied tweets. 

H/T People

Ariel Winter isn’t about that unrealistic “beach body” ideal.

The 19-year-old actress recently sat down with Refinery29 to discuss her role as Alex on “Modern Family,” how she’s dealt with critics in her rise to fame and her journey to self-acceptance and body love. The interview is part of R29’s new Take Back The Beach series, which debunks the dreaded notion that a woman needs a “beach body” (i.e. a thin body that conforms to often unachieavable standards of standards of beauty) in order to happily wear swimsuits in the summer. 

Winter told R29 that loving your body all the time is hard work and that’s OK; the beach “should be a safe space” either way, she said.

“It’s hard to be positive about your body all the time,” she said. “I know because I’m honest about my insecurities that people think I’m 100 percent positive about my body all the time, but I’m not. I get really uncomfortable, too. But I just remind myself that this is the body I was given. This is who I am.” 

The “Modern Family” actress also spoke about body positivity in the context of the Trump administration. President Trump is notorious for objectifying women: He fat-shamed a former Miss Universe and called her “Miss Piggy;” he said that a woman must be attractive in order to be a journalist; and he’s also openly fat-shamed and criticized multiple famous women for their looks and weight. 

“Our leadership is really anti-women right now,” Winter told R29. “Thanks to Donald Trump, we’re being objectified and made to feel bad about ourselves, so I think it’s really important for women to stick together and do the opposite of that; to let their bodies be seen and be heard, and to empower each other; to remind each other that what they look like is not the only thing that’s important when it comes to who they are.”

And unfortunately, the young actress knows all too well what it’s like to be objectified by critics. Winter has been the target of relentless body-shaming, whether it’s about wearing revealing dresses or her breast reduction scars.

Winter told R29 that her 2015 breast reduction surgery helped her feel more comfortable in her skin. 

“When I got the breast reduction it helped me feel so much better about my body. I used to have full-scale meltdowns in bathing suit shops because there was nothing I could find to wear. I always felt like crap about myself,” she told R29. “… My best friend, she’s super tall and skinny and she’ll wear the same bathing suit as me, but people will automatically look at me and call me out as a slut or write headlines about ‘Ariel Winter’s cleavage.’ Meanwhile they look at her like, ‘Oh she looks so cute!’ But I’ve learned to not care about that as much. I’m comfortable in a bathing suit, scars and all.”

Head over to R29 to read Winter’s full interview.