As someone who suffers from crippling anxiety, I find it hard to live comfortably. As I have grown older I am starting to recognize different times in my life when I have felt anxious. It is easy to feel anxious and it is also easy to hide this feeling. For many years I have suffered from the loss of my mom. This is the earliest time I can recall in my life when my anxiety became alive. By not talking about this tragedy to its fullest extent, I have built up anger, fear, and a habit of constant worry. It is important to remember to take care of yourself.
As a human grows older, usually one’s maturity level rises. I am now at a stage in my life where I can recognize my habits. I am able to evaluate what I can do to ease the moment. I have accepted that my anxiety will never go away, but instead, I can soften the blow. Recently I have sought professional advice; I am doing this for myself and I feel great. Reaching out for help is not the easiest step to make. After ten years of not having professional help, I have found that it is necessary as my day-to-day life has become difficult to live. There is no book that says what to do in life and when; instead it is a feeling that comes on naturally.
Another contribution to my anxiety is public speaking. Public speaking has always been a big fear for me; I still get nervous. Instead of looking at it as something that I do not like to do, I have to think positively. Not often can a whole room of people hear your voice. Although some may argue that social media replaces the physical presence of having a voice, it is important for people to see and hear who you really are. Social media can oftentimes be deceiving and hide someone’s truest self.
What I have found the most helpful when coping with anxiety is to take a moment each day for yourself. I cannot express enough how important it is to take care of yourself. I used to be the person that would constantly have to be doing something in order to keep my mind off things, but instead, I have set boundaries with my time. Life is short and having a schedule of my availability for others to see is necessary. By saying “yes” every time someone asks me to hang out or do them a favor, I am losing essential time with myself. By giving up all of my free time, there is no longer time to take care of myself.
Take a bath, buy that candle, drink a coffee. Life is too short to always live in fear of what others think. Stop worrying about what other people are doing. Take the chance and ask others for help. Talk to a friend. Take care of yourself.