WHAT REALLY MAKES YOU BITE YOUR NAILS?
By: Tehreem Haider
‘Fear of the unknown’ is what keeps so many of us up at night and
lost in a daze during our days. Anxiety is a highly prevalent mental
health issue in today’s day and age, when our present is shaped by
the expectations we think the people around us might have. We go on
endlessly making up "what-if" scenarios in our mind and making
assumptions about things that probably don’t end up happening half
the time.
Everyone experiences normal anxiety. Life can be demanding and
stressful and anxiety is a normal response to it. Although, sometimes,
anxiety seems to take control of us by taking over our thoughts and,
consequently our actions too. It interferes with our daily life and does
not allow us to function properly.
Below are some tips which have and continue to help me overcome my
anxiety and the stress it comes with, bit by bit:
Firstly, if you’re reading up about anxiety and how to bring it down to a
minimum, it means you are aware of the problem and ready to face it!
1. Remind yourself that YOU are the dictator of the events that unfold in
YOUR life and whatever anyone around you is doing or saying about you or
themselves, will NOT and CANNOT affect how you choose to steer yourself.
2. Since, the mind likes to behave as its own person you also treat it as a
separate entity. For instance, when it tells you you’re going to mess up your
presentation in front of your colleagues no matter how much you prepare,
you need to quieten it down by assuring it that you KNOW what you’re
doing. And you will put in all the work that needs to be put in, you’ll gather
all the required courage and you’ll ACE the apparently daunting task that
lays in front of you.
3. Things won’t always go your way however, that does not mean you lose
hope and start believing your anxiety proved as a warning. Don’t let your
anxiety compel you to procrastinate instead, buck up and make a note of
everything that has attributed to your lack of success in the past.
4. Have some faith in yourself. You have gotten this far, you definitely have
what it takes to go even further!
5. You are not the only one who’s anxious regarding what the future holds.
If you’re questioning your every move and if you’re unsure about what is to
come, so is EVERYONE ELSE. No one has control over what’s to come but
we DO have control over our thoughts. So, let’s take charge of our thoughts
and fill them with hope and positivity for the present and the future.
Don’t let your anxiety set you up for failure and remember, FAITH OVER
FEAR.