On the other hand, at moderate levels anxiety actually improves performance by boosting our energy level and helping us work or focus longer and harder. And anxiety may be an important survival tool because without it we wouldn’t be as likely to stay safe. Like many mental disorders, it is thought to reflect an excess of some healthy tendency; neither too little nor too much anxiety is ideal, and we can tell if it is too much when it impedes a person’s living to her fullest potential.
