Anxieties

We all have to deal with our anxieties. It is just a messy, unavoidable part of being human.

For some people, these feelings are a quiet hum in the background.

For others, it is a loud, persistent roar that demands attention.

Whether we like it or not, navigating these internal storms is part of the deal of being alive.

Sure, there are therapists who can help us handle them and give us the tools to overcome them. Professional support is incredible and often necessary.

But there is something deeply personal about the way we face our own shadows when the lights are low and the house is quiet.

Facing the front row

I have always felt that overcoming an anxiety by going front row with it provides a great sense of accomplishment. There is a specific kind of bravery in looking at the thing that scares you and deciding to sit right in the splash zone.

It is uncomfortable and sweaty. Your heart might do a weird dance in your chest.

Lately, I have been trying hard to overcome many of them at the same time.

It isn’t easy at all.

I wake up every day with a strange feeling in my guts, a physical weight that tells me things aren’t as they usually are. My body feels the shift before my brain even has a chance to catch up.

The tasty side of the struggle

Life isn’t easy for everyone, despite what social media might try to convince you.

We are all carrying something.

But honestly? Overcoming those challenges is what makes the whole experience feel tasty. There is a richness to life that only comes after you have pushed through a difficult season.

If everything was smooth and easy, we would never know our own strength.

That feeling of finally breathing clearly after a long period of chest-tightening worry is a high you cannot buy. It is the reward for the work. It is the proof that you are still here and still growing.

The reality of the routine

It is important to have healthy habits.

We know the drill: eat light before going to sleep, turn off your phone, read a book, and get to bed early. These are the foundations of a calm mind. I try to follow them. I really do.

But reality often has other plans.

Sometimes I just want to hit a giant mute button on my own brain and watch a film / relax, don’t think about the stressful stuff of a growing man.

Finding the off switch

How do you find peace when your body is stuck in high alert? Sometimes, it is just about survival.

It is about acknowledging that today was hard and that is okay.

We don’t always have to be winning. Sometimes, just making it to the end of the day with your kindness intact is the biggest victory you can claim.

The strange feeling in my stomach might stay for a while longer.

I am learning to coexist with it rather than fighting it every second.

Eventually, the gut feeling fades and the habits get easier to keep.

Until then, I will keep showing up to the front row, even if I am a little tired and my brain is looking for the exit sign.