I am learning to breathe.
I feel restless and frustrated, and every minute feels like an hour.
My mind is overwhelmed with thoughts, thoughts of worry and concern filled with what ifs.
Sherry Zhu
I close my eyes to calm myself down but those thoughts just get more exaggerated.
I want to scream and I cant.
That is what it feels like when anxiety takes over.
It feels miserable; it feels like you are slowly suffocating yourself in your own thoughts.
Its overwhelming; it feels like you are drowning in your pool of emotions.
Will I make to work on time?
Sherry Zhu
Are my coworkers upset because I got a better bonus?
Are my friends mad that I was too tired to meet them for brunch?
Is the guy even interested in me despite him meeting beautiful women every day?
I could never relax, I could never sleep.
When you feel like this, you probably feel like your anxiety will never go away.
But let me tell you this: it does and it will.
I have tried everything self help books, medication, exercise, and therapy; you name it.
I would try anything to get rid of this awful feeling of anxiety.
Therapy never worked for me because I never quite believed in therapy.
Put some faith in the belief that it will go away or that you will manage it better.
I wanted to give faith another chance.
Believe in yourself that you will heal.
Maybe its the environment or maybe its the brain, some of us just work that way.
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to meditate and getting distracted by all those thoughts.
Countless meditation and breathing exercises later, I finally started feeling more present.
Mindfulness is paying attention to experiences occurring in your present moment.
Trust me, keep doing this and meditation will become a life changer.
I felt I would get judged by my family, my friends, and society.
I thought my family and friends were embarrassed by me.
Trust me, managing anxiety is a struggle every day but I try, and it is getting better.
Be patient with yourself.
Be kind to yourself.
Your anxiety does not describe who you are as a person.
Treat yourself the way you would a loved one who is going through a hard time.
There are many ways to deal with anxiety different methods work for different people.
Give yourself a chance.
For me, it was faith, meditation, exercising, and writing that helps.
For some it could be medication, therapy, or just time.
Just remember that you are not alone in this.
I am learning to breathe.
What matters most is right now.
