ANXIOUS IS HOW YOU FEEL...IT’S NOT WHO YOU ARE

In these strange times you’ll hear me talk a lot about being kind... not just to those around you who might be struggling right now, but also to yourself.

In this current situation more and more people are experiencing difficulties with their emotional well being, and I am hearing from many people who have never had mental health issues before but in the face of the pandemic and the lockdown are starting to feel like they are losing control of their anxiety levels.

Many are confused as to why they feel this way NOW when they’ve managed ok so far.

Coming out of a year like 2020 with renewed hope and a vaccine rolled out to the nation, only to find the end might be further away than we initially thought can potentially hit us hard. It’s like running a marathon and using all your last reserves to get to the finish line only to find that you’re actually only half way there!

For that reason (and many others) think it’s important to recognise that feeling challenged at this time is normal and natural.

The important thing to remember is to never let how anxious you currently feel define you.

Feeling high levels of anxiety right now doesn’t mean you are developing an anxiety issue (no need to give yourself something else to feel anxious about!) it just means there is something about the current situation that makes you feel uncomfortable.
That’s ok.

Anxiety only becomes a problem when we portray it as something other than a natural emotional response.
Even those high levels of anxiety that are clearly inappropriate and excessive for the current, immediate situation are ultimately understandable when we take the time to break it all down.

I think this is why people like me are always encouraging us all to share our emotional difficulties and to talk about them more.

I’m personally not trying to normalise mental health struggles...I’m trying to normalise emotions.

We all feel them.
Sometimes good, sometimes bad.
They are not a sign of weakness, they are an indicator of humanity.

Your emotions are there to guide you, not to define you.