ANXIETIES AND OVERTHINKING

 

"Man is not worried by real problems so as he is by his imagined anxieties about real problems".

-EPICTETUS

" Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow but it empties today of its strength ".

-CHARLES SPURGEON

I'm pretty sure every one of us knows the meaning of anxiety and some of us(like me) are even going through it. What causes anxiety, the consequences, recovery, and well; the aftermath is more or less to say...pretty dreadful.

• WHAT DOES HAVING ANXIETY MEAN?

It is basically thinking way ahead of time about situations that 90% of the time won't happen but you still feel the need to be prepared just in case it does happen cause you know, your luck sucks.

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Thinking about those situations and just being overwhelmed by firstly- thinking, speculating, what if this happens? What if that happens? What will I do then? 

Primarily creating the worst possible scenarios of legitimately every single thing happening to you.

I kid you not, I would rightfully claim my crown as "queen of overthinking" If I could :')

YES. I overthink that much. I know. I know it's not gonna happen, I know I shouldn't think that much, I know I think about imaginary problems more than my actual problems,  I know I should sit back, relax and breathe, and I know it's gonna be okay but; 

When? When will all this be okay? When will I be okay? 

What if I don't be okay? 

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Imagine this, you're listening to a drop song...eagerly waiting for the beat to drop. The anticipation escalates like you're moving up on a rollercoaster but twist in the tale, you don't hear the drop and you're stuck on the crest of that emotional rollercoaster. You panic to try and find you're way out thinking of every single possibility but still, powerless.

That's what anxiety is. I can't wait to figure the future out so that I'm prepared in advance. I can't help but think about everything; every possibility, every solution, and yet I suck at permutations and combinations. What an irony.

I'm sort of a perfectionist to the point where it's a flaw. 

I don't even know if anyone is gonna relate to this but every time I'm stuck up I'm just like I don't know what to do but I wanna know what to do and it complicates things even more. 

Although I will say that initially, anxiety used to help me get done with quite a load of my work, it started getting out of my control as I got older and well, predominantly since the pandemic hit. It is not my favorite thing :)

• WHAT DOES ANXIETY DO TO YOU?

Well, although anxieties are fairly common in teenagers, they can be a really serious issue when things cross the line. Having a really extreme level of anxiety is like being stuck deep inside the ocean where the force of the water is crushing you from all six sides.

Not only can this destroy your self-esteem and confidence, but it also gives you a needless amount of pressure to put upon yourself. 

• WHAT  CAUSES ANXIETY? 

Several factors can contribute to specific levels of anxiety. Prominent ones are going through traumatic experiences, health conditions, and well teenage life.

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We live in such an era where comparison has become the new norm in society. Teenage life is so bizarre, it's like you're expected to act like adults but you aren't treated like adults. We go through so many changes mentally and physically that it just becomes nearly impossible to cope! 

This is where social anxiety and panic attacks set up camp. 

Even if it may not seem like such a big deal, it is still happening, right? Everyone tells you that it's no big deal but very few ask you, "Are you okay? Feel free to share it with me. Even if I don't understand, I will listen to it."

Maybe that's what we need in anxious times, someone who will listen to us. 

That's what therapists are for more or less to say but hey! Your friends are your free therapy sessions. They're your friends for a reason, and they will make sure you're alright no matter what. Don't let them go.

• AFTERMATH...? AND RECOVERY

The aftermath of anxieties is probably even worse than the feeling itself. You're left blank again. Not sure what to do, but exhausted from all the overthinking you've done in the past few days. In such a scenario, honestly, just rest. Binge-watch something, meet your friends, be with your family, just do anything that is gonna refuel you again. 

For the recovery part, hands down the best advice I've received is SLEEP. Let time do its thing. Sleeping can help you retrieve your lost energy plus it's a great fresh start!

Another one is, truthfully try and focus only on the needful things in life. Focus on yourself for a while. 

Disconnect. Rejuvenate. Conquer.

Recovering from anxieties is by no means a piece of cake. So taking your time and just having some moments to yourself is really important. 

Oh and by the way, playing with animals is another excellent way to cope with your anxieties. Just  FYI ;)

Taking a walk by yourself to watch the sunset/sunrise or just taking yourself on a solo-coffee date is top-notch.

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It's funny how anxieties can be escalated by the tiniest of things but can be cured by even tinier. 

It's all about thinking, "If it's not gonna matter in 5 years, I'm not gonna spend more than 5 minutes thinking about it." 

My friends who're reading this right now are gonna be so pissed and shrieking at me that they have told me this a gazillion times.

I got you guys. Thanks a lot ;)