Emma Stone's Panic Is the Perfect Lesson For Any of Us That Deal with Anxiety

Emma Stone won best actress at the Oscars for Poor Things—and the 35-year-old actress was genuinely shocked when they announced her name.

For anyone who works in the film industry, there is no bigger achievement than to take home a coveted Academy Award.

Even Emma Stone is no exception! No matter how successful she may be, like so many others, she'd dreamed of this moment since she was a little girl.

But she had a nightmare too—and it seemed like both were coming true.

Emma Stone's Life Long Struggle With Anxiety

As shocking as it may seem, Emma Stone's been acting for nearly 2 decades!

After her hilarious performance in the beloved coming-of-age flick Easy A, Stone quickly became a household name.

You'd think being in the industry all those years, Stone would be more than comfortable basking in the limelight.

But this couldn't be further from the truth.

Stone has openly spoken about her anxiety mental disorder and she hopes in doing so, it'll allow others who struggle with anxiety to feel less alone.

"I started in therapy, I think around age 8, because it was getting really hard for me to leave the house to go to school," she says. "I sort of lived in fear of these panic attacks."

Emma Stone

For someone as famous as Stone, admitting she struggles with anxiety can be terrifying. No matter how good our intentions are—our truth is vulnerable!

Even though society's come a long way, we still have a ways to go. There's still a stigma around mental health issues—but Stone is dead set on not giving in.

In fact, she's not giving up.

How Her Weakness Became Her "Superpower"

Despite her battle with anxiety, "The Amazing Spiderman" actress accepted the challenge.

At only 15 years old, she convinced her parents to move from Arizona to Los Angeles so she could start an acting career.

For Stone, she found the silver lining in all her fears. Instead of letting them hold her back—she used them to push her forward.

When she got on stage, Stone was forced to focus on the present. She channeled her anxious emotions into something more constructive—more powerful.

These jittery emotions became her secret weapon. Her greatest strength.

And it paid off...

Twice.

No One Thought Stone Would Win—When They Called Her Name, She Looked Like She Was Going To Be Sick

Despite Stone's envelope-pushing performance as the incorrigible Bella Baxter—Lily Gladstone was projected to take home the award for her killer performance in "Killer's of the Flower Moon".

The odds were even less in Stone's favour as she snagged her first Oscar in 2017 for her performance in La La Land.

No one thought she would win a second Academy Award—including Stone herself!

Then Michelle Yeoh, announced her name and the reaction cam said it all.

Stone looked almost dazed—even confused!

In fact, she looked like she was going to throw up. For a moment she just sat in her seat, while everyone around her gave a standing ovation.

No matter how good of an actress Stone is—it's clear this was one time she wasn't faking it.

As the saying goes, "just being nominated is an honour" and it's pretty clear Stone was in this frame of mind—and the turn of events was shocking to say the least.

But for someone who struggles with anxiety? In a split second when everything changes?Fear kicks in. And it can be paralyzing.

Good News/Winning Can Be Just As Startling As Bad News/Losing

Even though the unexpected win was nothing but good news—for someone with a history of anxiety disorder like Stone—the shocking turn of events couldn't have made her stomach turn more.

For people who struggle with anxiety, the overwhelming feelings can hit anytime, anywhere.

In fact, one of the biggest triggers of a panic attack can be when things don't go according to plan.

For Stone, winning her second Academy Award just a few years after her first win, seemed to good to be true.

She wasn't prepared to take the stage—so when she had to—it hit her like a ton of (gold) bricks.

After the shock wore off, Stone was caught on camera breathing deep—likely a technique to calm herself down. Finally got up to accept her award.

Then her dress ripped.

Talk about things not going according to plan.

Her Big Moment Was Almost Overshadowed By A Wardrobe Malfunction

In a split second, nearly everything went wrong for the suddenly two-time Oscar winner!

As Stone made her way toward the stage, she realized the back of her dress had ripped and in her speech she alluded to this being one of her biggest "nightmares".

Upon taking the stage, Stone was flush with embarrassment. She mouthed to a fellow actress on stage, "my dress, my dress".

Her eyes pleaded for someone to throw her a life line.

"King Kong" actress, Jessica Lange tried her best to jump in but it was all moving too fast.

Michelle Yeoh who didn't catch the wardrobe malfunction—quickly handed Stone her golden statue, and Stone was forced to take the microphone and make her acceptance speech.

Instead of ignoring the elephant in the room, Stone got candid about how embarrassed she was.

"Oh boy. My dress is broken!", Stone word-vomitted, before turning her back to the audience and gesturing at her busted zipper.

Instead of Dying On The Inside—She Laughed It Off On The Out

Even though the moment couldn't have felt more embarrassing for Stone, she attacked the problem head on—and the greatest thing happened.

She got a laugh from the crowd. A sign of encouragement—letting her know it was OK.

We've all been there. Accidents happen! And thankfully, Stone chose to get candid about how anxious she felt, and she got just the support she needed—literally.

It's hard to be real when you're feeling overwhelmed, but had Stone kept her fears bottled up she may never would have known that sometimes when we think everyone's judging us...they're not.

In fact, their really happy to lend us a hand—and a sewing kit?

The best part was, this embarrassing wardrobe malfunction couldn't have had a more positive effect.

The live, widely televised moment, made people who struggle with anxiety feel totally seen.

She Didn't Have A Speech Prepared—So She Took A Deep Breath And Spoke From The Heart

During her speech Emma Stone spoke about how her "Poor Things" Director, gave her an amazing piece of advice, when it came to channeling her fears into greatness.

"The other night I was panicking as you can kind of see—it happens a lot—that maybe something like this could happen. And Yorgos [Lanthimos, Poor Things’ director] said to me, 'Please take yourself out of it,' and he was right, because it’s not about me".

Emma Stone, The Academy Awards

Stone went on to say how making movies is a collaboration. It's a team sport. A film is made up of "something greater than it's sum parts".

Her speech was a full circle moment.

It was a reminder that even though she was the one who would take the stage—her anxiety didn't need to be front and center.

In order to give proper thanks to all the amazing cast and crew who helped her have her "moment", Stone's fears would have to take a back seat. And with a bit of deep breathing to pause and reflect...they did.

Thankfully, "Poor Things" director Yorgos Lanthimos was there to remind Stone of this message—and in turn Stone was able to pass it on and share it with the world.

Watch Emma Stone's Full Speech:

The fact of the matter is, anxiety disorder affects over 30% of the population—but the comforting news is, it doesn't discriminate.

Even the rich, beautiful, and famous aren't safe when it comes to mental health problems—but thankfully these celebs who have such a big platform have the opportunity to be a mouthpiece for the rest of us—and pave the way when it comes to shattering the stigmas.

But that's not the only silver lining.

The Anxiety Loophole Experts Can't Stop Talking About

They say depression is a avoiding pain of the past and anxiety is fear of the future.

Often these two mental health issues go hand-in-hand, with one illness being more predominant than the other.

But thankfully when it comes to anxiety disorder, experts have found a loophole, and it couldn't be a better way to look at the glass "half full".

Is It Anxiety Or Excitement? You Have The Power To Decide

According to Forbes Magazine there's nothing stopping your from "re-labeling" your anxiety as excitement.

"The feeling of anxiety is physiologically almost the same as the feeling of excitement."

Forbes Magazine

Forbes expert research concluded, "Both feelings produce an elevated heart rate and a feeling of butterflies in your stomach. Both might make you sweat. Your body is readying itself for action."

3 Tips For "Re-Labeling" Your Anxiety

1. Take a moment to think about your situation

First, assess whether anxiety or excitement would serve you better in a given situation. When faced with a threatening scenario, such as someone wielding a gun, it's natural to experience anxiety, and there may be limited control over that response. Conversely, when gearing up for an interview, view it as a chance to create positive outcomes! Consider it an opportunity to showcase your skills and share your knowledge. Embrace the excitement of this prospect. By concentrating on the positive aspects, you often find that anxiety subsides, and your enthusiasm enables you to present yourself as more competent, enthusiastic, and personable.

2. Focus On Positive Outcomes

Shift your focus to positive outcomes. Anxiety often stems from dwelling on potential negatives that rarely materialize. Stay optimistic, concentrating on positive possibilities, to reduce anxiety and enhance excitement. A heightened sense of excitement can improve your performance, increasing the likelihood of a positive outcome. Cultivating this positive feedback loop is beneficial.

3. Don't calm down

Sounds counter-intuitive, but hear us out! Harness your emotional sensations to energize yourself. Rather than fighting anxiety, channel that energy like an emotional martial artist! If possible, engage in activities like exercise, swimming, dancing, or playing sports like golf, basketball, or boxing to make use of this heightened energy.