As Rowan students finish their finals and others start revving up for the end of the semester, this is a good time to appreciate something that is best in moderation: anxiety.

Disclaimer: I am not making any statements about anxiety disorders. I'm just discussing my experience with anxiety and what I have learned about it and myself.

Biologically, there is an importance to emotional responses, such as fear and anxiety. To me, they seem to be closely related. Fear is when you’re faced with a situation that could pose danger or harm to you. Arguably, anxiety serves as a precursor to such a situation – aiming to make you aware of fearful situations before you are in them.

Personally, anxiety serves a greater purpose than fear. Fear seems to be more closely linked to survival. Most people fear snakes or heights because of the risk of death associated with them. Anxiety is our body’s more subtle way of reminding us of what is important enough to worry about.

Finals are a time for most of us to remember (and for some, to realize) that our grades are important to us. For some, the anxiety associated with not doing well is moderate and serves as good motivation for them to work hard. Others are consumed by anxiety and unable to function under its pressure.

Regardless of what type of person you are, anxiety has the ability to tell you a lot about yourself. If you are anxious about meeting new people or speaking in public, it could suggest that the opinions of others are important to you, and you’re worried about messing up.

It could also suggest that your socializing or speaking abilities are important to you, and you doubt your capabilities in either regard. If you’re anxious about an upcoming internship or doing something wrong in a relationship, perhaps you’re worried about messing up something that is important to you.

The truth is, as annoying and paralyzing as it can be, anxiety serves as an important reminder that we are alive and doing something worthwhile. Someone who has never felt anxious about anything has never gone outside of their comfort zone.

For those of you who are finishing another academic year, I challenge you to face your anxieties. Recognize them for the messages they are trying to tell you and appreciate them. If you find yourself having anxiety about things that aren’t important to you, recognize that too. Be rational with yourself. Why am I so anxious about failing this test when I have studied my best?

The error in the thought process is not realizing all that we are doing to prevent our anxieties from coming true. Rather than recognize the hard work you have put in, you continue to worry about failing. Self-sabotage is the most frequent side effect of anxiety. To avoid it, take some time to appreciate your work, your worth, and perhaps even, as the kids say, “treat yo’self”.

This summer, reign in those unnecessary anxieties and push through the ones that are warranted. If you’re worried about failing, practice. If you’re worried about losing someone important to you, tell them how much they mean to you.

Never stop pushing yourself out of fear of failing, and don’t push those close to you away out of fear of losing them.