Anxiety Management is Constant Work
Have you ever felt like managing your anxiety had a finish line — and once you finally reached it, you’d be healed? Ready to take on the world again?
Yeah… me too. For the longest time, I believed that if I just worked hard enough, journaled enough, or meditated perfectly, I’d finally cross some invisible finish line and be “normal.”
Anxiety isn’t something you beat once and for all — it’s part of being human. We all feel it in different doses: on first dates, before big exams, or during those life-changing job interviews where you’re trying not to sweat through your shirt (no one needs that kind of wardrobe malfunction).
Then there’s the anxiety that’s profoundly debilitating. It takes control over your body and mind, and you feel helpless.
When those waves hit, our bodies respond in very real, very dramatic ways: racing heartbeats, sweaty palms, shortness of breath… sometimes a full-blown panic attack that makes you question every decision that led to this moment (including the existential one: why did I scroll through Instagram at 2 a.m. again?).
They make you want to never leave the house again. And honestly? I get it.
Well… There’s Hope
Good news: although anxiety never completely disappears, managing it can get easier. Your recovery periods can get shorter, and you can actually start to feel human again — if you have the right skills that work for you.
You need to understand your triggers, have a management plan (or ten), and give your body time to recover. What works for your friend Sally might not work for you — and that’s 100% OK.
Think of it like trying different TikTok hacks: some are a total flop, some actually save your life, and some just make you laugh (and sometimes that’s all you need).
I’m going to go into more depth about creating a plan that works for you, because there is no one-size-fits-all solution. For now, rest assured that you are not “losing” the anxiety-curing race… because there isn’t one.
When I started to learn how to change my perspective on anxiety, it changed my perspective on life.
Journal prompt:
What are some skills you’ve gained from your experiences with anxiety?
For example, I’ve learned:
How to be more aware of my surroundings
The types of friends I want/need in my life
How to show compassion toward others — because you never really know the battles people are facing
Even anxiety has something to teach us — if we’re willing to pay attention (and maybe laugh at ourselves along the way).