Anxiety is a friend of mine. Friend may not be the right word; we have a love/hate relationship. Why? Anxiety is a liar. The constant thread of information filing through my brain is anything but reliable. Since my anxiety is here to stay, it is my job to see the truth and speak logic into the chaos. Easier said than done? Absolutely! But it is worth the effort? Here are a few things to consider.

Fact vs. Fiction

My priority is my relationships with family and friends. Anxiety makes me question my commitment to others as life changes. I can only describe it as silly, merging into a crazy town when logic is in charge. The lie is I’m letting people down. The truth is life happens. I am human, and no one expects me to be superhuman.

I missed a graduation party due to a debilitating migraine. This is an acceptable reason to be absent. No one would say otherwise. Except, the running dialogue in my brain states I was the only one missing and I should do better. Time to discern fact from fiction. It takes effort, but my energy needs to focus on the truth and stay in the lane of logic. I am enough and no one questions my motives.

Stop Looking in the Rearview Mirror

One of the easiest ways for anxiety to twist reality with its lies is to analyze the past. Looking in the rearview mirror changes the perspective of a situation and can twist fact into fiction. As an example, my brain second guesses my interactions. Time with a friend can cause me to rethink every comment, response, and question. Logically, this is a complete waste of energy, but alas, it happens. Time is better spent in the present. We cannot change past actions. You only control the here and now. Using my efforts to focus on today keeps the lies at bay. A practice I am trying to perfect.

Know your Why

Second guessing a decision or postponing the decision-making process is a common symptom of my particular brand of anxiety. To combat this problem, I need to understand my motivation. Discovering why I am leaning in either direction helps to ground me to the decision, outside of my tumultuous emotions. When the why is unclear, I seek advice for a more secure footing. Seeking counsel can increase my nerves, so an alternative is research on my own. Relying on reason to determine my course is better than succumbing to anxious emotions.

Reject the Lies

If you are walking hand in hand with anxiety, silence it by telling it to sit down. Become familiar with your true motivation and intentions, so that you can reject the lies being spewed in your direction. Friends, you are enough and capable in every way. Hold on to these truths. Don’t let anyone or anything try to tell you otherwise.