Anxiety is natural. Now I know what many of you are thinking: “How could this much stress and pressure possible be normal? How can any of these feelings be normal?” Trust me I’ve been there; heck I’m still there. Struggling with anxiety is no easy fight, but it helps to remind oneself that anxiety is natural. From a psychological standpoint, anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress. Every individual who is living and breathing will experience this in their lifetime; we often times refer to this natural response as the “fight of flight” response. However we choose to refer to it or look at it, anxiety is our body’s natural way or protecting us from an immediate stressor or danger. For example, if you’re in a building and the fire alarm goes off, your anxiety will and should kick in. Your brain will begin sending signals throughout your body that may cause your heart to race and you may even hyperventilate, but it is that response that could save your life.
In a life or death instance such as that, those anxious responses serve a profound and meaningful purpose that we can be thankful for. There is just one problem. Sometimes the brain gets it wrong. Sometimes these signals get crossed. Sometimes we end up staring at our bedroom ceiling at midnight with our hearts and minds racing as we worry about a test or presentation that is two weeks away. Or we wind up sitting at the dinner table hyperventilating about a mistake that was made two months ago. That’s when the response becomes unnatural and irrational.
If you’ve been there, I’m sure you know what I mean, and I am sure you have encountered countless situations similar to the ones above. If that’s you, I want you to take a deep breath and congratulate yourself because you’ve made it this far. Forget the past for a minute. Forget the words on this screen. Sit back in your chair and take a deep breath because you’ve made it this far despite those signals getting crossed. So sit back and enjoy a moment of peace because as any anxiety sufferer knows those moments can often times be fleeting.
We chase those moments where of peace where our brains stop worrying about fears that cause us no immediate danger. We wish our brains would not be so afraid of essays that are due in three weeks or social outings that we feel obligated to attend. I just want anyone currently suffering through a fight with anxiety to remember that you’re not alone in this fight. Countless others are fighting alongside you and every day we wake up and face the world is a victory worth celebrating. Just remember that next time you have an anxiety attack, you aren’t crazy. Not even a little bit. In fact, that overactive emotional response might just save your life one day, but in the meantime just remind yourself that there is no danger. Remind yourself that you deserve peace and relaxation and take advantage of every moment your brain lets you have peace and quiet. Always remember to take life one task at a time and enjoy those little moments as you celebrate another day of living life and triumphing over your anxiety.
