Living With Anxiety

Anxiety doesn’t discriminate. It comes in all shapes and sizes, and like a leech...it latches on to its victim and sucks the life out of them. It can be so crippling, that thought of a stranger asking “How are you?” makes you afraid to go out into public.

Not everyone is affected by anxiety in the same way, but occasionally... and even in my case, it can become depressing.

Things that should be easy... like brushing your teeth, washing your face, changing clothes, and even showering seem to become harder and harder.

You might perk up for a little bit, only to ignore your friends when they text you to invite you out because you might see someone who makes you uncomfortable. It’s okay!! We all have those days! However, don’t let yourself give up. Don’t slip so far that you refuse to go to your friends or a professional if you began to feel that your life does not matter! I can tell you it does!

I’ve seen people give up on overcoming their anxiety out of fear of failure. I personally regretted mistakes from the past, and thought I deserved to feel “un-okay” and miserable. In my mind, I wanted to be further in life, but I felt I deserved to stay in a slump.

It is okay to feel like this!!! No one ever says it enough, but it is Fine! IT IS OKAY TO NOT FEEL OKAY!!!! I promise YOU are fine!! What’s not okay is letting this stop you from chasing your dreams and your visions. Each and every one of us has a UNIQUE and BEAUTIFUL mark to make on this ugly world. Remind yourself of this every time you feel anxiety creeping in! Take steps little by little if you need to! Sometimes, brushing your teeth and taking a shower is a BIG accomplishment! Remind yourself that you’re here for a purpose and even if you don’t know it yet, you’re gunna be okay!

About 5 years ago I was in an accident with one of my friends. My tire popped on the Polaris Ranger while I was driving, and we were thrown into the middle of the road with it on top of us. My friend broke her back and had several injuries to her arm. I completely degloved my knee and had a hole in my joint. We stayed in the hospital for two weeks and miraculously, after a long road of recovery, we are both better... aside from the scars and the pins.

I’m telling you this because even though we were getting better, it was still a very dark time. I dealt with a lot of guilt and still do some days. It was not my fault, and it was a complete accident. It just took me forever to forgive myself. I turned to drinking and partying to numb my feelings, but I finally realized that was never going to fix my problems. I slowly began working on forgiving myself, and I was able to work on dealing with my anxiety in a positive way.

I tell myself in the mornings that today is going to be a great day! I try to get to at least one thing that I have been putting off, and this has made me feel more accomplished at the end of each day.

Get a puppy if you can, or even a rescue pet! Having a fur baby around has tremendously helped me work through having anxiety, and he has been there for me through a lot of depressing states.

If you have a good friend or family member that you trust, let them in, even if it’s just a little bit. Talking may scare you and make you feel nervous, but even sitting with a loved one can help you. Like I said, baby steps!

Therapy is also a something that may help you! Sometimes we just need a professional or someone who has dealt with similar battles to talk to us about their experiences.

Always remember prayer or asking for good vibes never hurts, and I am always here to pray with you or talk more about the subject. I can tell you about my battles. This is how I fight mine though ❤️

With love,

Hailey Alexandria Baldwin