Anxiety is unique in every individual it comes in contact with, but know that you are not alone.
I’ve always been a tad on the anxious side, to say it nicely. Honestly - my anxiety, let’s call her Misunderstood (or Missy), has taken so much from me over the course of my lifetime thus far, that I feel a lump in my throat as I write this down. But, as my own yoga practice strengthens, I feel Missy weakening her grasps on me.
What has she taken from me? To name a few things… my voice, strength, self-appreciation, time, places, experiences, and the list goes on.
A little over 4 1/2 years ago my family experienced a significant loss and it was a direct trigger on increasing my anxiety and depression, strengthening Missy, and pushing my true Self into hiding.
On and off during those 4 1/2 years, I’d find myself terrified to leave the house, in hysterics driving my car, and at a loss for words during conversations feeling disconnected from everything.
The strangest thing, I thought I was alone. The only one to feel this pain, anger, sadness, frustration and anxiety. Now that I’ve named Missy and reflected on what she’s taken, I see that she is not me, she is not the truth, and I am not alone.
I have a voice, I am strong, I am beautiful, I can take time out of my day to simply breathe, I can go places, I can do what makes my soul happy.
Even though my experiences with anxiety are my own individual ones, I know that the tools that have helped me to recognize the real truths of myself can and will help others.
I’d invite you to take a moment to sit in silence and find one thing that your anxiety has taken from you. Hold it lightly and gently and write it down. Now put the thought to the side, out of mind (I know, easier said than done). It took me a long time to do this one step. It wasn’t because I didn’t know what it’d taken, but I was stubborn to let it go. Now take a deep breath in and out through the nose.
This anxiety is not feeding you truth, it is not you and you are not alone. Please recognize that this one small step is bringing you closer to your true self and that there is more to you than your anxiety, even if you’ve lived with it your whole life.
If all you take out of this is one single word, one piece of the puzzle of anxiety, here is is: BREATHE.