Dear friends,
All of my life I have struggled with anxiety. Whether it was in school, at home, at work, or in social settings, anxiety has always been a battle of mine. When I was younger I never really understood what it was exactly. I just remember always feeling nervous about everything for no particular reason.
Two years ago I decided to get medicine from my doctor to help with my anxiety, and since then I have been a lot better with dealing with different types of situations. My anxiety isn't gone because of the medicine I take now. It still is apart of who I am, and I've learned to accept that. Right now I'm feeling super anxious typing this because of how busy I've been recently and due to upcoming events in my schedule. Today I want to share with you some things I've learned through dealing with my anxiety to possibly share some tips to those who also struggle with types of anxiety.
1. Embrace Your Anxiety.
When I say "embrace" your anxiety, I mean that you shouldn't run away from it. Don't let your anxiety take control of how you act or what you do. If you do that, then your anxiety wins. It took me since kindergarten until junior year of high school to finally accept my anxiety, and deal with it in a different way. I decided to see a therapist in order to get medicine. Since then I have been WAY better with my nerves. Running away from problems won't solve anything. Accept them. Face them. Deal with them. I cannot stress that enough.
2. Being A Little Anxious Is Good!
Nobody likes the feeling of anxiety. It's like you are losing to your own self. Having no anxiety isn't great either, though. Without anxiety, you wouldn't have the mindset of feeling prepared for something. When I stress over a test or a concert, I make sure I prepare for it and know what I am doing. By preparing for something, you reduce your anxiety and grow confidence. Yes, when I go up to sing for a concert I'm still nervous as shit, but I know that I did my best to prepare, and that is what counts. Anxiety keeps you on your toes and allows you to get ready for whatever it is that is causing your anxiety. A lot of anxiety = sucky feeling. No anxiety = seems great, but isn't always that great. A little anxiety = what I like personally.
3. Not Everything Is In Your Control.
If something doesn't go your way, so be it. Life is going to take you down paths that you didn't expect to go down, and that's okay! You can't make everything go the way you want it to. You will lose some, and you will win some. You will fall, or you will stand tall. You can't stress over things that aren't in your control because that's just not productive or reasonable. It's okay to be upset at first, but don't be dwelling over it because there's nothing you can do about it. Life will give you lemons one day, and throw a brick at you the next. You just can't expect everything to go your way.
I've learned a few more little things, but these three things are the big ones that I have learned over the years. Anxiety can be a pest, and it can be hard to deal with at times. Nobody likes anxiety, but if you do, you can take some of mine because I don't want it.
You can either face your problems or run away from them. As a kid, I ran from everything. I didn't want to deal with something that I found hard or blew up my nerves. Now, I still have anxiety, but I deal with it differently. I ran from problems most of my high school years. I cried going into elementary school. I gave up on some things because it was too much work to put in. Towards my senior year of high school, I just learned that you have to take things one day at a time. Don't pack everything all together and deal with it all at once. That is not productive for you or anyone else. Go with the flow. There are days where I say "Screw it" and do my own thing because sometimes you need that! Other days I try to push through because I know I can't give up or quit.
If you deal with anxiety or anything of the sorts, you are not alone. Everyone deals with it in their own ways. You can get through whatever is making you nervous. Just don't give up on yourself or whatever it is that you are doing.
I hope you guys enjoyed this article, and I will see you guys next time with a new topic.
Your Friend,
Al