5 Positive Lessons Anxiety Taught Me for the Better

I assume that if you find yourself reading this, you too must be a perpetual optimist always seeking to find the lesson in every battle you face. I first experienced anxiety a little over a year ago. I was going through a LOT of transitional phases in my life and it all seemed to come to a boiling point. Since that period of my life, I have reflected, grown, and made positive lifestyle changes that have helped me for the better.

As a mother, a generally head-strong individual, a Christian, and a person in overall great physical health, I felt guilty for experiencing this. If this is YOU, please know that it will NOT serve you or your loved ones any good to sulk in guilt and shame. You are amazing, and this will just be a piece of your story. It will not DEFINE your story.

There has been an amazing shift in my life since I’ve become more transparent about my journey with those around me. I’ve realized how many of my close friends have faced the same challenges, and they provide a new perspective from their experiences as well. It has given me the opportunity to be authentically myself with them, and it’s immensely strengthened those friendships.

If you only take one thing from this article, I hope it’s that you are not alone. People we meet every single day at a coffee shop, the strangers we brush shoulders with on a crowded street, the mom at drop-off who seems so put together, even your overachieving co-worker could be dealing with anxiety. Some of our favorite celebrities such as Adele, Anne Hathaway, and Kerry Washington have all been open about their journey with anxiety.

“The way you tell your story to yourself matters.”

– Amy J.C. Cuddy, Ph. D

Please note that this page contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure here.

Please note that this page contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure here.

My goal is to give hope and bring positivity to this topic and help YOU tell your story so that others will be brave enough to tell theirs.

Before I begin, I should note that these are from MY personal experiences with anxiety. I am not qualified to advise on how to cope with anxiety, and I strongly urge you to talk with a licensed therapist or doctor if you are experiencing anxiety.

Here are five positive lessons anxiety has taught me:

• It is okay to slow down the pace of your life. From a young age, we are conditioned to feel that we should accomplish a lot in a small amount of time. We finish high school, rush off to college, and start a career. Sometimes when our schedules get busy, anxiety creeps up, and we are forced to give ourselves that much-needed day of rest or even reflect on the choices we are making. When we slow down we can ask ourselves, “do I really want this to be my career path?”, or “is this relationship good for my mental health?” This gives us a moment to take cues from our bodies.

• Stop feeling guilty when you say “no.” Personally, my anxiety has caused me to be a people pleaser. I would overcompensate in every aspect of my life to keep every person happy, even if that meant I would be mentally and emotionally drained. By facing my anxiety, I’ve learned that it’s okay to say no sometimes. It’s okay to not spread yourself thin because sometimes, you will need to focus on your well-being and keep a sound mind. Not everyone will approve of that, but you will thank yourself in the long run.

• It is so important to be extra kind to others. From the outside looking in, anxiety may not look like much of anything but it can be very uncomfortable while you’re experiencing it internally. This has taught me to be kinder and more understanding. If you notice a family member or friend being a little more irritable or confused than usual, be empathetic because we never know what they are facing to cause them to behave in that manner.

• Things always get better. All my worrying had caused me to experience symptoms from panic attacks to derealization, and it became exhausting quickly. So I decided to focus on fixing one thing at a time. There are SO many things to worry about if we allow our brains to wander. Everything I’ve spent moments agonizing about has always had a resolution. Even if it wasn’t the desired outcome I wanted, I can reflect back on it today and see it was the outcome that was needed. Push through, lean on your support system, and be assured that good things are waiting on the other side!

• I found my true strength. I have spent most of my life feeling pretty indestructible, but this certainly hit me like an 18-wheeler. I’ve always had a solution to every problem, so realizing this was out of control was a challenge. But I researched, I found healthy ways to cope, I stopped being so critical of myself, and I try to uplift anyone around me who experiences this as well. If you’ve faced anxiety and kept going, please always remember that YOU, my beautiful friend, are a fighter.

Wherever you are in your journey, please know you are doing amazing! Remember to slow down the pace of your life when needed, learn to say “no” when necessary, be kind to others, trust that things will get better, and find your true strength within. What positive lessons will you take from the challenges you face today?

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