I recently faced a big fear of mine after putting it off and pushing it away for a while. When it comes to pushing away our fears, it’s only human nature to avoid the things that scare us. I found that for me and the particular fear I was dealing with, I wanted to face it but I was anxious.
There’s only so long you can hold off on the things that scare you. In the moment, avoidance is a quick fix. It can feel like you are doing something positive for yourself. Over time, through avoidance, the fear is placed in a little box to the side and it then becomes a large, incontrollable manifestation.
I have a tendency to bottle up feelings in the moment due to the logic of “I have a busy schedule and I don’t have time to deal with x, y, z.” This results in a temporary comfort that disregards the root and real feelings of the problem. Back in the box, it all goes. This box is the equivalent to the junk drawer of stuff you don’t like/you don’t know why you have that stuff in the first place/it’s so full that can’t shut this drawer, drawer.
The day that your drawer can’t shut is when you know something is wrong and thus you become overwhelmed with how you’re feeling. This feels horrible. Procrastination in any way, shape or form isn’t fun, but with mental health it feels even worse. It’s essential to not let yourself get to this point.
So when it comes to facing the fears and feelings that scare you, take baby steps, bite sized pieces, and throw away one item of your junk drawer at a time. That way, you ease into the things that scare you and… fears aren’t even fears anymore. The best feeling is overcoming something all by yourself; it’s the gift that keeps on giving. It takes time. Be patient, don’t feel frustrated. As my Dad and I love to say, “Give time, time.”
Until Next Sunday,
Margo