5 Things That Make Me Anxious and I Overcome It

Many things make me anxious but I am learning to control it

At some point, we will all be anxious. For others, it is manageable but for some, it may become debilitating and impact how we live our daily lives.

Over the years, I have learnt to dealt with things that cause my anxiety head-on, identify possible triggers which have helped to find suitable coping mechanisms.

5 Things That Make Me Anxious

Work

Let me start by saying that I do enjoy my job.

Currently, I am working as a support worker.

Click below for my experience as a support worker.

Being A Support Worker

My job can be filled with twists and turns; each day is different from the next and it is impossible to predict what will happen especially as I work with young people; some with mental health and/or behavioural challenges.

Aside from the day to day challenges, the lack of organisation that may sometimes happen means that I may be asked to move between units at the last minute which doesn’t help my anxiety anymore.

I believe I have Type A personality therefore I like to plan. It helps me to stay organised and allows me to practice mindfulness before I do whatever it is that I have to do.

I have been on the job for about 2 months now and it is crazy how quickly things have changed.

I feel quite settled into the role as I know what is expected of me. Yet, I still feel anxious.

Relationships

Oh, where do I even begin?

Let’s start with romantic relationships.

Growing up, I was so scared, anxious and reserved about getting into a relationship.

Perhaps I was cautious as I knew deep down that I was not ready for a relationship as I still had my own issues to focus on.

I was not comfortable in my own body and my level of confidence was pretty much non-existence so starting a romantic relationship was not in the cards.

Now, with relationships with friends and family.

I had a strong desire to be liked.

I wanted to please everyone all the time and the thought of falling short made me so anxious.

Anticipating what people’s needs are and not being able to fulfil them (even though it is not my job) also had an impact on my self-worth.

Once again, I was looking at external sources to build up my self-worth and confidence.

Don’t do that.

Travel (Driving)

One thing about me that you should know is that I LOVE to travel.

I was bitten by the travel bug at a very young age and I am glad to say that the bug is still there!

Since I have arrived on this planet, I have travelled at least once almost every year.

When I was a little girl, I would look forward to flying. Take off was my favourite part.

As I got older, I began to overthink pretty much everything and become anxious quite a lot. I looked forward to going overseas but was a bit hesitant about flying because you know, things that I heard and read about over the news (I don’t need to say it; I refuse to).

The whole process of travelling to the airport, going through customs then at times unpacking and repacking because your suitcase and your hand luggage are causing issues…it is a lot of work and stressful at times. Especially if you are rushing to catch a flight.

One time I was rushing with an elderly relative in order to catch a flight. I was stressed and sweating. We were rushing to get a flight and then a connecting flight once we arrived in Los Angeles. Somehow along the way, I misplaced her medication and LORD that was a mess. I was so stressed that I almost cried.

Driving is definitely less stressful than the whole flying process.

At the age of 19, I got my license and then I got my first car when I was 22. As expected, I was nervous when I started driving as I had not been behind the year for 3 years. Eventually, I got used to it and got very comfortable and began to drive a bit like my mother; reckless.

Now, I do tend to drive fast usually because I feel in a constant need to rush even if I have ample time because I feel nervous! I just want to get to my destination.

Recently, I was rushing to work (which I did not need to, anxiety got the best of me) and I hit the car in front of me; on a roundabout. I was devasted. I couldn’t believe that I did that.

Thankfully, the guy wasn’t a jerk about it but I was more embarrassed than anything.

How did I let things get this hectic?!

Finances

Honestly, I am quite frugal and spending a lot of money doesn’t sit well with me.

I tend to spend my money on essentials: food, car and savings.

At times, I think to myself; wow I need to make more money to cover my expenses and to retain money in order to do the things I would like to do.

Alternatively, I think about the facts that:

-I still live at home with my parents

-I need to cut my expenses

-I need to budget

I need to cut myself some slack and not be so concerned about my finances; at least I have a job

Life

Life has shown us all that you can never predict what is around the corner. COVID** really showed that we need to be more appreciative of the life that we do have as it is precious.

Some of my concerns are:

-When will I make enough money to be comfortable and not constantly worry about bills

-When will I be in my dream role?

-What if this happens? How will I handle it?

I think I am capable and resilient and able to push through regardless of what is going on around me.

How I overcome the things that make me anxious

Take each day as it comes

Life is a blessing and I am learning to take each day as it comes. that means that I need to focus on the hear and now and not overwhelm myself with scenarios and things that couple happen in the future.

All I have to do is continue to manifest and be mindful of what I put out there. That is my job

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is so key to keep my anxiety at bay. Deep breathing helps me to stay grounded and present.

Remind me of how far I have come

My personal development journey has taught me that I am stronger than I know. I used to be so scared, paranoid and timid with a lot of things. Over time, life has taught me to roll with the punches and go for what I want to do.

I do remind myself that the journey I am on is not linear; there will be obstacles but I will over them as I have done so before.

Focus on what I can control

One thing that I have to keep telling myself is that I can only focus on what I can control. That includes my thoughts, what I am consuming and what I am allowing.

There is no need to concern me over things that no matter how hard I try, I will not be able to control.

So let me just be me and be great at it.

Take Away

Anxiety is normal but letting anxiety control your world is impacting your life. Don’t let it. Take each day as it comes, focus on yourself, take a break if necessary and remember overall, BE YOU.

Thank you for reading.

Take care and stay safe.

XO