Lila Saw, Content Team Contributor.
Anxiety is defined as “worry over the future or about something with an uncertain outcome; uneasy concern about a person, situation, etc”, I personally think this is a very vague definition of what anxiety is. Yes, it is the feeling of uneasiness, uncertainty and worry however the definition doesn’t describe the engulfing feeling of being overwhelmed by specific situations, and how it could last minutes, hours or days and sometimes longer. It doesn’t even touch on how anxiety varies and is provoked in different ways for every single person on this planet, for some anxiety might come around in very specific scenarios, for example, for sportspeople they may only feel anxiety before competition however, for others it could be experienced in day-to-day life with tasks like leaving the house, meeting new people, or even speaking in front of others.
Most people in their lifetime will experience a moment of anxiousness however, for others it’s a lot more than just a moment of anxiousness. Having anxiety is something that takes time and patience to deal with, it can come and go during stressful, scary or brilliant moments in your life, or it can be something that you’ve always had. It’s a curse but, at the same time it’s also a blessing. This is because it proves how strong you are, it proves that you’re able to achieve with the added stress and pressure that you have. Anxiety isn’t something that should hold you back in life, it can be horrible and draining but, it doesn’t define you as a person. With anxiety also comes strength, patience and it is a massive achievement to push through, follow breathing techniques and calm yourself. Being able to overcome anxiety attacks or continue with something even though your anxious is a massive deal and proves how amazing you are, it’s something to be proud of and I can guarantee you will look back in the future and congratulate yourself for how well you have done in your life, how proud you are of yourself and you get the joys of experiencing whatever you want to experience.
I’ve personally experienced anxiety, moments of anxiousness and general fear and nervousness, so have a lot of people I’ve met. Although it is very hard and scary, I, along with so many other people who I have the blessing of knowing, have been able to push through, breathe and carry on. Nobody’s perfect and with anxiety you’re not always going to be able to just carry on but, that’s okay too. Nobody asks that your perfect and nobody believes that there’s something wrong with you, everyone I know is proud of me for what I’m able to achieve and I’m proud of them. It doesn’t mean that you are worthless or that you cannot achieve whatever you want to achieve because I know you can, there will be someone in your life who is proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself.
There are so many ways you can deal with your anxiety, but they can vary from person to person as different techniques will be more effective for some than they are others. I personally think, from my own experiences and speaking to others, that the best way to deal with anxiety is to just talk. I honestly think it is the simplest, yet most difficult solution to your problems. Sometimes with anxiety it can feel as though you have the weight of the world on your shoulders and with your anxiety present it can make it even harder to talk about it due to the fear of being judged etc, but just being able to get it off your chest can really relieve the pressure of your woes and help you overcome your anxiety. It is important though to make sure you trust the person you are confiding in, whether that’s a parent or other relative, a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife, colleague, your GP, a therapist or a helpline, as it is going to help you find it much easier to vent your problems to them and it will help you suppress that anxiety as you don’t have to worry about feeling insecure when you’re talking to your chosen person.
When dealing with anxiety, the world can become a very lonely place and you may feel as though you have nowhere to go or have nobody to go to, but it is important to remember, there is always a rainbow after a storm! Nothing is forever and what you’re going through now will pass over, although it may not feel that way. It’s just a test and once you overcome this you are going to come out on the other side a much stronger person in a much happier place. To whoever is reading this, and what you’re going through right now, it is important to remember you are loved, you were put on this planet for a reason so let’s make the most of it. You will always have someone fighting alongside you in your corner and you should never forget that, reach out to someone, confront your problems and overcome them!
There is no better time to take action then now!
The No Panic helpline is open every day between 10am and 10pm on 0300 7729844.
