Mental Health

Fuck Anxiety. You Got This.

Trust me, you have a parachute

Photo by mostafa meraji on Unsplash

When you panic, it feels like you’re jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, but trust me. There’s a parachute. I’ve always panicked. It’s how I’m made, but I’ve learned that panic is not the entirety of me. It is merely one window in the entire building of me.

1. Acknowledge when the panic is happening. It’s not reality. It’s your reality. What’s your response to something new? Is it panic? Notice that. Are you worried about failing? Are you worried you’re not going to accomplish every job perfectly? Are you afraid every tiny thing you do reflects how people see you as a person? Why are the stakes always so high?
2. Put all your feelings about panic in a box. The box's job is to hold your fears (job fears, relationship fears, going out, staying in, parenting, impending conversations, everything). The box is there so you can get on with your daily life. If you let your fears into your minute-to-minute life, you become a diluted version of your best self. What does the box that holds your panic and fear look like? Is it wood? Metal? Glass? How big is it? Is it heavy? Is it sharp? Imagine that box. Put every thought that comes up around your fear and panic into the box. Close the box. Put it away. If something else comes up around this fear…