As someone that lives with often crippling anxiety and depression, – for about 7 years now- I’ve learned to celebrate victories. Ones that are really small, the type that seem insignificant to other people, are the memories that I hold onto on really bad days. When I say small victories I mean doing a solo presentation in Literature for Women, staying in a new class that scares me, going into every new class when starting a semester, going to class everyday. I know it may seem silly to some people but to me those victories are the world.
Being scared is not always a bad thing, but when it constantly interferes with your life it becomes a problem. Being anxious makes me constantly scared, but it helps when I see my mental illness as a war; every single battle, small or big, is one step closer to winning or conquering my fears.
A mental illness may shape our perspectives, makes things that were once part of our daily lives seem scary or threatening. I’ve lived with anxiety and depression for more than half a decade. It’s been a part of my life for a long time and sometimes it makes me feel unaccomplished, which is why I’ve learned to enjoy and celebrate small victories, like going out with friends, doing a solo presentation, going to class on the first day and regularly. These things don’t seem like much but to someone with depression and anxiety that commonly interferes with daily life, these little moments where we push through our conditions, are important to acknowledge.
Even in small ways, like buying that LUSH bath bomb you’ve been eyeing for a while or using that face mask that you’ve been stashing for at least a month. When the fight or flight instinct kicks in, I usually choose the latter, so when I don’t do so, I find it very important to acknowledge that I went out of my comfort zone and did something that took effort. Going against your strong desire to run away from your responsibilities or even deprive yourself of doing something that you really want because you’re scared, is always a cause for celebration.