How To Fight Back Against Your Anxiety When It Feels Like It’s Sucking The Life Out Of You

It’s the muscle-twitching feeling that seeps through your nerves when you’re sitting back and relaxing on a beach day out with your girlfriends. Yes, anxiety has the audacity to jump and shout “peek-a-boo” even on the most relaxing and happiest days of your life.

People are suffering from mental health problems way more than ever. I was 21 when I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Looking back, I realize how I always had this little piece of shit following me everywhere I went since age 11. But then again, how is a child supposed to know the difference between excessive worry and anxiety? However, I’m here to tell you that if I can be a badass bitch and fight anxiety, then so can you.

First of all, it’s super important to recognize your thought patterns. It sucks, I know. But once you’re able to draw the line between your normal thinking pattern and anxious thoughts, at least you can stay firm and reject whatever negative crap anxiety is trying to make you believe. This is where therapy will help! But not all of us can afford therapy, which is where journals can help. Come on, write those negative thoughts down. Try to organize them in different categories—for example, a separate list for relationships, a separate list for self-esteem, and a separate one for career. Try to make links and think about where YOU think these thoughts are stemming from. Maybe someone made you feel inadequate about your looks as a child, or maybe you went through something traumatic such as abuse. Once you’ve tried to establish links, when anxiety throws those negative thoughts at you, you can tell yourself, “No, I won’t believe you,” and move on.

Anxiety disguises itself as protection, but in reality it does nothing but harm us. It tries to suck the joy out of our lives, makes us believe horrible things about our loved ones, and even tries to tell us that we need material possessions to survive. It tries to red flag everything we might want for ourselves. Whenever we try to work hard, anxiety acts like that frenemy who says they want the best for you but secretly wants to screw you over. Don’t shut the business that you started just because anxiety told you so. Don’t leave your boyfriend, fiance, or husband just because anxiety keeps throwing negativity towards you regarding them. Go out when anxiety tells you to stay away from people.

Come on, we can’t let anxiety rule our lives. We’re the bosses here. Don’t be ashamed of how you feel—you’re already a boss for fighting the demons in your head every single day.