Struggling

I’ve been struggling a little more lately with my anxiety. It’s hard, can get depressing, and it’s frustrating as well. We get tired of going through something that holds us back. The thing is though, that we cannot let ourselves give up. We cannot let giving up in our battle to overcome anxiety be an option. We must practice and we must keep trying.

With everyday anxiety that accompanies the irrational anxieties that many of us may have, we may feel overwhelmed. This is perfectly normal. So what should you do? While I am obviously not an expert in the field, I do have advice. Start by trying to identify the rational anxieties that are upsetting you and try to calmly work through them whether it’s a meeting you may have, a work project, schoolwork, or something else that is on your mind. Once you identify the rational fears, practice getting through any irrational fears you may have. Remember, do NOT give up!

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Feeling Rushed

There are many things that add to one’s stress. These “things” that add even more pressure onto our normal anxieties can vary depending on our individual personalities. For some, feeling rushed adds a great deal of stress to their daily lives.

While it is true that there are times in life when you have to do things and you don’t have all the time in the world to do them, this does not mean that you cannot find ways to make it easier on yourself. I know how scary it can be when something you are anxious about seems to be happening quicker than you feel you are ready for. Some things you know that you can take time and relax before you do them and sometimes, you feel like you are running out of time. When you feel anxious due to having to do something you do not feel ready for, this is my advice:

If the thing you are worried about is in a few days, a week, or a month- relax. Without putting too much pressure on yourself, practice every day doing what it is that you are worried about. Take small steps.

If what you need to do is in a few minutes, an hour, or a few hours- take a deep breath and try to think positively. You CAN get through your anxiety if you think positively. If what you want to do is not necessary and you feel too overwhelmed with anxiety, you can always try another day. However, if you feel you can get through your fears, TRY.

Searching For Those Who Will Help You In Your Struggles

Just as suffering with anxiety can be difficult, so can finding those who will support you in your fight against fear. The problem is, unfortunately, that some people simply do not understand and, possibly, never will. So how do you find people you can trust?

Obviously you cannot just go around telling everyone about your fears and anxieties. For one thing, they may not understand and for another they may not be trustworthy.

So what do you do? First start with those who you are really close to, family, close friends, etc. With family, it will sooner or later be clear who understands. It is sad when some members of one’s family do not understand for let’s face it, we expect family to understand. However, sometimes they do not. This is unfortunate, yes, but there will probably be those who do try to understand. These people, are those you should be happy to have in your life.

Also, you may lose friends due to them not wanting to deal with your anxiety. In addition, there are some individuals who don’t want to have to worry about trying to understand their friend’s struggles. As you may have heard, these friends are not worth obsessing over. True friends try to understand and they try their hardest to help.

So, speak to those you trust and those who stick by your side are the ones worth your time. Last but not least, whether or not you can find someone who will help you get through your battle with anxiety, know that you can get through your suffering as long as you continue to practice and begin to trust yourself.

My Definition of True Failure

Yes, it is true that it is possible to fail at accomplishing something; that is not doing something you wanted to. However, in my opinion, I think true failure is when you stop trying all together. When you give up on trying to overcome your fears, that’s when your success will cease and that, hopefully, is the last thing you want.

We are not perfect. With that being said, we may make mistakes and some days may be easier for us to get through than others. Struggling to do something or not being able to do that thing at the moment does NOT make you a failure; quitting does. When you quit, you are saying that your fear is always going to have power over you and that you are incapable of rising above it; this is not true. You CAN overcome anxiety as long as you keep trying over and over again. Practicing may be tiring at times, but anxiety is even more so. So next time you struggle, don’t think of yourself as a failure. Get up and try again when you can.

For All of You Who Are Suffering…

Whether starting out with anxiety or whether you have been going through it for a while now, there may be times when you wonder if you will ever get through it.  You may constantly find yourself trying your hardest to do something, only to in the end, seem to not be able to do what you want; making you feel as if you have failed. The constant cycle of fear gets both tedious and makes us wonder if the pattern can be broken. We know we cannot give up, but for many of us- disappointments seem to deter our confidence that we will, in fact, get better.

I want to tell you that if you continue to give all your effort to making progress and if you continue to practice, you WILL get better. I know the future may seem bleak, but I was there once too and though I am not 100% better, I have made progress and I know I have. When you do make progress, as I have said before, don’t let others tell you otherwise. You know you have practiced and you know you have tried. Continue practicing and you won’t regret it.

Exercise Both Mentally and Physically

For many of us who go through anxiety, exercising both mentally and physically may be hard for us to do. Anxiety can cause us to grow lazy and fearful, causing us to focus so much on our stress, that we forget that we must find a way to overcome it.

I know as a human race, we find ourselves busy. However, our well-being (along with others’) is the most important thing in this world, so while you may need to do other things, you also need to find time for yourself to practice both mentally and physically. This can involve practicing what causing you anxiety or just exercising in general. This will help you improve both physically and mentally.

Be Proud of Your Accomplishments!

As I may have mentioned in the past, it can be hard to focus on our accomplishments when we find ourselves struggling. However, reflecting on our progress helps us think more positively. We still need to practice and focus on making improvements, but that does not mean we should fail to notice our successes. For every ounce of progress we make, it brings us that much closer to achieving our goals.

Get Up And Do What You Can!

It’s important. Whether the previous day was easy for you or difficult, getting up the next day and practicing is important. Even if you can’t do one thing, you can always try another. Whether it’s getting ready to go somewhere or just hanging around the house, just getting up and doing what you can might make all the difference.

When They Don’t Understand…

I don’t wish my anxiety on anybody- really I don’t. It’s hard though when I’m going through something; something really hard for me, and people around me don’t understand. Whether it be that certain people don’t understand you worrying so much in general or whether they don’t comprehend how hard it can be to do simple things due to your anxiety, it’s hard to find the words to explain to them just how difficult it all is for you.

It’s also hard for ourselves; to see ourselves once again taken over by our fears. We are NOT weak, but we still struggle. Like I’ve mentioned, practice is important and also, trying hard not to overthink is important as well. Overthinking can lead to letting our anxiety feed on our minds and that is something that we do not want.

Back to the subject of people not understanding. While it is hard, we cannot expect everyone to understand our anxiety. If those who don’t understand don’t deal with it themselves, it is hard for them to imagine going through what we do. Just as it may have been or may be for many of you that struggle with anxiety when it comes to thinking positive and believing everything will be okay; sometimes things are hard for us to picture. If we’ve never made progress, it might be hard for us to picture it. If we do make progress, it makes it a little easier for us next time to have more confidence in us being okay.

The best thing to do is to find support in those you know you can trust and in yourself. If some people don’t understand, that’s okay. Sometimes even if a person doesn’t comprehend why things are so hard for you, they will still be supportive. For those people who aren’t supportive, don’t let them get you down. Have confidence in yourself.

I Know What It’s Like

I know what it’s like to suffer, to struggle with anxiety. I know what it’s like to feel like you’ve failed and let yourself down. It could be the simplest thing, but anxiety makes doing some things seem like one of the hardest things to do in the world. You feel crushed and upset with yourself.

I know how hard it is. I know how much anxiety rips you apart, but you are NOT weak. We need to practice and NEVER give up on ourselves. We need to surround ourselves with both the support of others and ourselves and we need to help each other. So practice and don’t give up!