While it pushes us to plan and prepare (for an exam or a presentation for instance), it can at times be so intense that we become overwhelmed and struggle to focus on the task at hand.

Brené Brown calls out that anxiety is at the same time a trait (a pattern of feeling that can be observed consistently for a given person across situations and time) and a state (a feeling that results from a specific situation or time.) She found that all types of anxiety are influenced by an "intolerance for uncertainty" and that worry or avoidance are two common coping strategies for anxiety.

According to Alison Wood Brooks, a professor at Harvard Business School, anxiety and excitement are closely related and we can reframe an anxiety-inducing experience into a more pleasant one (for instance by saying "I am excited") to switch from a threat mindset to a opportunity mindset.

Anxiety is associated to several disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety DIsorder, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or Social Anxiety.