A psychologist explains how anxiety can be motivating, as shown in 'Inside Out 2'.

"Inside Out 2" grossed $100 million in ticket sales during its second weekend, following the story of 13-year-old Riley Anderson as she navigates the challenges of adolescence and the accompanying emotions.

Maya Hawke voices Anxiety, a quirky orange character that stands out in the show.

While anxiety is commonly viewed as a negative emotion, the movie highlights its beneficial role in life, according to Lisa Damour, a psychologist who worked on it.

"Anxiety can be motivating and that's important," she says.

'The way psychologists see anxiety is as a protective emotion'

During the development process, the character's appearance was made cuter instead of looking more like a "villain," as originally intended.

"She is adorable in the final form of the film, although a little off the rails at times. This was an important evolution because psychologists view anxiety as a protective emotion, helping us stay alert and make adjustments."

If you use anxiety to justify illogical decisions, it can become unhealthy.

According to Damour, irrational anxiety involves overestimating the danger and underestimating your capacity to handle it.

"Inside Out 2" conveys that anxiety can be both a hindrance and a useful tool, according to Damour.

""Anxiety can be helpful in decision-making and paying attention to our surroundings, but it shouldn't control our actions," Damour advises."

2 tips to handle anxiety

A neuropsychologist and professor at Pepperdine University, Judy Ho, advised CNBC Make It that if anxiety is more of a hindrance than a motivator, it might be beneficial to create some distance from unhealthy thoughts.

There are a couple easy ways you can do this, Ho says:

What evidence supports your anxious thoughts, and what evidence contradicts it? Write down your findings in two columns and compare them. Ho often notes that there is more evidence that your anxiety won't occur than evidence that it will.

To maintain a balanced perspective, it's acceptable to acknowledge your anxiety about a specific aspect of your life. However, it's important to remind yourself that not everything is going poorly. A helpful technique is to repeat this script when reflecting on your day: "Yes, I [insert something that is not going well], but I [insert something that is going well]."

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