Battling the Biggest Liar in your Life: Anxiety

TW: Anxiety

Let’s be honest, anxiety always knows how to ruin a positive mood. It’s more than just being nervous or a little worried. It possesses an overwhelming power to remove you from the present moment, and submerge you in a sea of worry. The constant cycle of thoughts never ends, like “I’m not good enough” or “Am I good enough?” These ideas make you think of the worst case scenario (The catastrophes your anxiety predicts will most likely not happen!). Most importantly, when experiencing anxiety, do not claim it as a part of yourself! It is a part of you, not your identity. Make the choice to actively separate the two. 

Yes, the internet is full of information for coping with anxiety. It’s important to take charge of our situations, and assess our anxiety with intentional, mindful changes. One of the first steps you can take is recognizing when anxiety is blatantly telling you lies. 

Questioning yourself? Anxiety is lying to you.

Persistent self doubt can lead to an obsessive thought pattern that ultimately harms your mindset. Anxiety fills your head with expectations, beliefs, and standards that you subconsciously cling to. When you begin to question yourself, take a moment, and pause that downhill process. This is where affirmations can play a big role in your daily battle against self doubt. You are good enough. You are strong. You are worthy. And most importantly, give yourself credit for trying. 

Trying to prepare for the worst case scenario or jumping to an imaginary conclusion? Anxiety is lying to you.

Anxiety wants you to be distressed about a situation that has not even happened. Don’t become a victim to this catastrophic mentality. Instead, ground yourself in the present moment. If you constantly find yourself jumping to conclusions for any given scenario, remember to slow down, take a breath, and divert your attention toward a soothing, passive activity. The “worst possible outcome” is a projection of irrational fears. When you fixate on unrealistic scenarios, it merely increases your suffering. It is important for you to ground yourself, and actively be conscious of the things you have control of: your thoughts and actions in that moment. 

Overthinking? Anxiety is lying to you.

We all know that hopeless feeling of descending into a spiral of negative thoughts. In retrospect, these thoughts may make no sense, but they feel very real in the moment. Anxiety allows us to engage in bad thinking habits that we may not be consciously aware of. Making simple changes, including meditation and mindful thinking, can help you combat anxiety’s numerous lies. Grounding techniques like reiterating positive thoughts can help you stop the process of overthinking. 

Overcoming anxiety’s lies won’t magically happen overnight. However, small changes like these can help. It requires intention and effort to combat these thoughts. Don’t be fooled into giving power away; you are in charge. 

If you, or someone you know, suffers from anxiety, and would like further help and resources, please click here, or contact your doctor. There is no shame in seeking extra help! 

Written by: Sky Cruz