Yesterday I posted about my first panic attack and some tips for pushing through them.
I reread it this morning and it felt too disjointed – there was no transition between the story of my panic attack and tips.
And that has been bugging me all day *grin* …
I don’t feel as though I did the topic of tips for pushing it back a good service, so I plan on writing about it more, and compiling much more.
With that in mind, I want to write briefly about anxiety.
Anxiety is extremely common, especially in women. It usually comes and goes, but in many people, it comes and stays and takes up a place at the table and makes itself comfy – that guest that lingers way too long, even after you’ve asked it to leave.
It seems obvious to tell someone who is feeling anxious to stop worrying.
If only it were that simple.
When someone struggling with anxiety is in the cycle of anxiety, thoughts begin to feel real. But it is also that very same thing that starts the cycle: the brain gets caught on repeat.
And when you hear something enough, you begin to believe it, and your emotions begin to dictate your perception of reality.
Which is what I started to do with yesterday’s post. It’s (still) driving me crazy. I keep telling myself it isn’t good enough, that I didn’t do the topic justice, that I failed.
Yet, I received so many emails and comments on various social media platforms telling me something completely different from what my mind was telling me.
And so, I leave you with some basic advice for now:
Don’t believe everything you think. – unknown.
Do you find yourself in that cycle of anxiety? Stop and ask yourself if what your mind is telling you actually lines up with what others are telling you, or what you would tell someone else if they were facing the same situation.
This is the 3rd post in a 31 Day Series: 31 Days to Peace: Finding inner peace for anxiety and panic attacks. Start from the beginning here.
