Anxiety is a lot more than what people perceive it to be.
It's more than just being nervous about a big test or being nervous about your first date.
If you get anxious often, you've probably done at least one of these 15 things.
1. Rehearse what you're going to say to someone before you call them.
Followed by your heart racing unbelievably fast.
2. Get to all places much earlier than you need to.
3. Plan out exactly everything you need to do in order to be somewhere on time.
"So... I can wake up at 10:00, be ready by 10:30, leave the house at 10:40, be there at 11:00, just in time for the event at 12:00"
4. Count your money over and over again before you reach the payment window at a drive-thru.
Yep, $5.30 exactly. *2 minutes later* OK, but did I make sure i had 5 $1 bills? *counts again*
5. You check locks multiple times because you never know if you truly locked it.
6. When someone says they need to talk to you, you (over)think about every possible thing you did in your life that could've upset them in some way.
7. You've probably said "Thanks, you too" to someone who told you to enjoy your meal or your movie.
8. People probably often refer to you as a pessimist because you think about the worst outcome in almost any situation.
9. If someone is talking to you, you realize their tone first and if they have a negative tone, you automatically assume it's because of you.
10. You probably remember the negative comment John Doe said to you 5 years ago.
I know I do.
11. You'll re-read the emails and texts you send 10 times just to make sure you didn't say something that sounded wrong.
12. If you see a group of people talking and one person in that groups happens to look in your direction, you'll automatically assume they're talking about you.
13. In class, you'll wait for someone to bring their paper or test to the teacher so you don't have to be the one person who goes alone.
14. ... Or if you have something to throw away, you'll keep it with you because you don't want to get up and throw it away in front of everyone.
15. If you can't find something in Walmart (or any other store), you'll look for it by yourself and if you can't find it, you'll leave because you don't want to ask someone where to find it.
Always remember that you may have anxiety, but anxiety doesn't have you. Anxiety sucks, but you're strong and you've got this.