#ThisWhatAnxietyFeelsLike :My Experience

Everyone feels anxiety now and then, whether it’s a big test at school, or a presentation you have to give or even a party. However, feeling anxious can become an obstacle in living a normal and happy life, and that is something we all have to strive to overcome.

I discovered the hashtag #ThisiswhatAnxietyfeelslike last night through one of the people I follow on twitter. The creator of this viral movement to express your thoughts on anxiety is Sarah Fader, you can visit her twitter profile here.

For me, anxiety is something I feel whenever the question paper is handed to me, whenever I have to go in front of the class to say something or whenever I remember something that hasn’t been particularly pleasant, to put it mildly. Even though I’m one of those people in my class at college that speak out frequently, my voice still shakes when I stand up to say something. My temperature rises almost instantly when I see something bad coming whereas when my sister caught me texting a guy when I wasn’t supposed to, blood drained out of my face so quickly, my lips went white. She was so scared that instead of questioning me, she asked me to sit down and breathe deeply. Just to clarify, she’s 14 years elder to me, so practically a parent, which explains why I was so scared.

She herself gets anxious when she has to travel. The packing, the tickets, the calendar, all seem to shoot her anxiety.

Last night I posted a line along with the hashtag, it was: “Like you’re screaming but no one can hear.” That’s what anxiety is for me. It’s like you’re calling for help, but it’s not audible to the other people around you. In times when I’m anxious, I turn to my journal, music, my pets or sleep.

1.Journaling

That’s a recent page from my current journal. And yes, the blur is on purpose.
I’ve been journaling for more than six years, and it has helped me through times of stress. When I knew I couldn’t turn to anyone in my life, my journal listened to my rants and it made me feel better to turn those anxious thoughts onto paper so I could see that I didn’t have to worry so much.

2.Music

This has turned out to be one of my favourite songs. Ed Sheeran’s voice is amazing.
“Where words fail, music speaks”, I’ve read online and on a graffiti in my university. It is true in a way. When writing in my journal did nothing, I liked to sit back, put on my headphones and listen to my favourite tracks, and soon enough I was mouthing the words and the problem disappeared for a little while.

3.My pets

That’s Ceaser, he’s a rottweiler. He’s much bigger now, this photo is a few months old.
I am a dog person, but this can work with any pet you have. When there’s no one around, you can talk it out to them or just cuddle up with them and feel comfortable. I’ve cried sometimes in front of my dogs and they have tried to comfort me. It feels like they understand even if they can’t say it to you.

4.Sleep

Sleep is the best remedy to anxiety for me, personally. It helps put your conscious mind to rest and that proves to be really helpful in relieving anxiety. Once I accidentally left my journal inside a desk a school and when I realized it, I swear I was close to a nervous breakdown. I couldn’t do anything, so I did what I knew would help for a limited time: I slept.

Share your thoughts with me down below. And if you suffer from anxiety and need someone to talk to sometime, leave me a message.

Love,

Annanya