When you have anxiety, certain things can be more difficult than they need to be, often for reasons you might not even know. Here are a few of the things that are more difficult with anxiety in the picture than without.
1. Friendships
Your friend doesn't use emojis when they normally would, or they send one word answers instead of three word answers, and all of the sudden you're freaking out because you're convinced they're mad at you. Now you either ask them if they're mad at you for the third time this week or internalize it and tiptoe around the situation analyzing your every move to make sure you don't make them more mad than they may or may not be.
2. Going somewhere new
You wanted to go to that coffee shop you saw the other day but now you've finished your coffee and you have no idea where to put the mug. Do you sit around and wait for someone else to leave to find out where it goes? Do you wander around with your empty mug and try to figure it out? Won't everyone stare at you if you do that??
3. Appointments
Do you have an appointment at 3:30? You've probably considered leaving at 3:00 to account for the fifteen minutes it takes to get there, so then you can still be fifteen minutes early.
4. Being late
This is probably the reason you're early for being early. The idea alone of being late is enough to strike horror in your heart. Being late to class, a meeting, or even seeing a friend is enough to set your brain on fire.
5. Doing something wrong
You put something somewhere it shouldn't have gone at work, or you forgot to bring something your friend asked for. Now you're convinced everyone hates you and that you're bad at everything you do.
6. Drinking coffee
You feel anxious. You drink your coffee to give yourself something to do. You feel more anxious.
7. Thinking
In the back of your mind, you know that everyone probably doesn't hate you, but you can't be 100% certain. The smallest thing that goes wrong is suddenly a fact that you're hated but at the same time, you're still just not sure.
Believe me, it's more tiring for me than it is for you, even if I still feel like an inconvenience.
