“Letting go brings us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. We cannot be free if our hearts remain attached to anything—anger, anxiety, or possessions.“~line by line
I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I didn’t experience it, and sometimes it seemed unbearable. It’s a bit like a roller coaster that never stops. I’ll be the first to admit that anxiety can take over your life if left unchecked.
The most difficult part about anxiety disorders is that it can be difficult to determine what causes them. For me, it wasn’t just a common, recurring thing; rather, it stemmed from underlying issues or insecurities that I was trying to ignore.
What I’ve learned about anxiety over the years is this: The worst thing you can do is ignore it or run away from it. Anxiety is there to teach you a lesson so you can continue to evolve and grow.
Recently, I went through a difficult anxiety attack that left me feeling isolated and scared. I have these recurring thoughts that won’t go away. It’s also confusing because I haven’t experienced this level of anxiety in a long time. I felt happy and content with life and then it came back.
This time, when my anxiety set in, I ignored almost all of my own advice and years of accumulated learning on the subject. All I wanted to do was numb myself with distractions and hope it would go away.
I tried to pretend everything was fine and nothing was bothering me. This makes the situation even worse. Avoiding anxiety caused it to become loud and constant until I was able to learn from it.
Recent experience reminds me that the best way to deal with stress is the one most people don’t use.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or therapist and cannot back up my recommendations with any medical research. But I am someone who has lived with anxiety my entire life and was able to recognize what would help me overcome it rather than letting it completely derail me.
When it comes to anxiety, the best and fastest way to relieve it is to talk it out. Yes, it really can be that simple.
In my experience, talking about your anxiety with a trusted friend, partner, or therapist can lead to immediate treatment.
So why don’t most people talk about their anxiety? Let’s look at the main reasons.
Determine the level of anxiety
Have you ever thought, “My feelings are stupid, my thoughts sound ridiculous; why do they make me feel anxious? Our judgments about anxiety prevent us from sharing it with others because we’re afraid of what they might think. This in turn Makes us more anxious!
The next time you feel anxious, remind yourself that you are not weak because of your focused thoughts. Discuss these issues with a trusted friend and you will soon be reminded that you are safe, loved, and protected.
eliminate anxiety
While our judgment can make anxiety worse, ignoring it entirely can also be harmful.
Many people are distracted throughout the day, going straight from work to television and social media to avoid rumination.
Removing anxiety doesn’t make it go away; it just makes it stronger. When we suppress emotions, we give them more energy than if we were simply talking about them at the time.
Additionally, suppressed emotions can lead to physical illness and hinder our ability to experience happiness.
Whenever I feel heavy, like a dark cloud is hanging over me, I know it’s because I’m ignoring a thought or emotion. When I finished talking about it, it quickly took away all the energy needed to store the anxiety and allowed me to find the feeling of joy again.
Isolating myself due to anxiety
Anxiety can make us feel completely alone, as if no one feels what we are feeling. But with eight billion people on this planet, you can’t have unique ideas. I guarantee you, if you are dealing with this issue, there are thousands of other people going through it too.
Most of us wait for others to be vulnerable first before we feel comfortable sharing. So have the courage to share what you are going through and I promise you there will be someone you can relate to and make you feel less alone. Vulnerability is the fastest way to find courage and let go of the anxiety that keeps you stuck.
In fact, anxiety demands your attention, even if it’s just telling you to take better care of yourself or set some boundaries. Whatever the message is, it’s better to listen and speak it rather than suppress it.
Understanding this helps me release my anxiety. When I talked about my anxiety with someone I trusted, here’s what happened:
My body relaxed.
The tightness in my chest that bothered me when my anxiety was at its worst disappeared immediately. As my anxiety eases, I feel my body move into the present moment. All the stored tension was able to leave my body. After that, whenever anxiety resurfaced, I would remember to focus on my breathing and remind myself that I was safe in this moment.
My mind stopped spinning.
The first way I know my anxiety is escalating is when my mind keeps spinning. The more I try to ignore them, they only seem to get louder and more obvious. So when I finally sat down to talk about it, the clouds parted and I was able to think more clearly. I take away their power by expressing my fears and worries because I am no longer tying them down. This gives me the biggest benefit of calming my anxiety, which is:
My creativity is back.
Anxiety puts us in constant fight or flight mode, with the body focused solely on survival strategies. Even feeling anxious about a non-life-threatening situation, such as an important work meeting, can cause our bodies to go into survival mode. When we are in fight or flight mode, our ability to be creative is diminished.
This happens to me in my writing. I hit a writing block and tried to write an article over two months. Usually when I get inspired, I can sit down and write an article in a few hours. This was a big warning sign that I was off balance and that I was letting fear take over.
When I recognized myself and expressed my anxiety, my creativity and this article came quickly and I was able to find my voice again.
I know it can be scary to talk about anxiety, especially if you’ve never done it before. So before talking about it or when my anxiety comes back, I like to do some grounding exercises:
Place your hand on your heart and close your eyes. Take a deep breath and repeat to yourself: I am safe and loved. I am not my anxieties or my fears; They have no control over me. I have the ability to feel joy and freedom, and sharing my fears with people I trust reminds me that I’m not alone. I have all the support I need and I won’t let this fear get the best of me.
Do your soul a favor and free yourself from the shackles of anxiety. It may not be a magic bullet, and it won’t work for everyone, but I do know this: talking about your anxiety will give you the relief you’re looking for. Anxiety can be debilitating, but you don’t have to suffer. You have the power to take back control of your life and love your life again.
About Anidas
Anne Das is a writer focused on self-growth, happiness, and finding purpose. She shares practical ways to bring more spirituality into your life every day. Come and join our journey at Wordsbyannie.com.
