The Business of Anxiety
For many great reasons, the topic of anxiety is mentioned in the news more than ever. These are anxious times for many of us. Some of us weren’t experiencing this level of anxiety in the past and are surprised at the reality of it. And there is also the chance that more talking about anxiety is a good sign that it is coming out from its hiding place. It is an early warning signal whether it comes out through mood, attitude, physical symptoms or poor life choices. Whenever we focus on something more, we tend to try to come up with better ways to deal with it. But anxiety is not like trying to clean the baked-on mess of a casserole dish. But let’s take that approach anyway.
Cleaning up Anxiety
After dinner, the dreaded clean up begins and there is the question of dealing with the mess. Leftovers get put away, plates get rinsed, tables and counters get wiped off and the last thing to do is figure out what to do with the casserole pan. It served its purpose well and dinner was delicious and easy to serve. But what is left after the meal might take some elbow grease. Literally. Since anxiety articles are more acceptable now, there are lots of different methods written about to wipe out that problem. I’m talking about that baked-on mess of course. I know there are commercials for products that just tell us to load it into the dishwasher and it will magically disappear. That does not work with anxiety for most of us. It is optimistic but sometimes hard to believe in self-cleaning too. And if you try and do that and find some parts of the pan still not clean in the morning, your trust takes a hit and you feel like a fool for believing. You knew it would be harder than that.
A Good Scrubbing
My mother would say that the casserole dish required a good scrubbing. You could put on the gloves and take out the heavy duty chemicals and start to muscle your way through. Eventually you might even see progress. But you might think to yourself that the process was so hard that you will never make another casserole. That would be a shame because everyone looks forward to the ones you make that are so comforting and cheesy. Perhaps there is a less drastic way.
New and Improved
The best part about concerns bringing more attention to themselves is the way that the brain starts to create different ways to get good results. This is when inventions get the most attention. This is when innovation occurs. This has become a great time to try to think about new options to help everyone deal with their anxiety. You don’t have to wait for years of data to try something new. You can just try something new for yourself. Maybe you check into online talk or tiptoe closer to the good that a therapist can provide. Perhaps just naming your anxiety and saying it out loud with someone you trust will give you the courage to feel as if it’s time for a scrubbing. The fact is that you don’t have to judge the anxiety because you can make a decision on how to handle it. You can even change the course if you see something else that intrigues you. Always remember that courage doesn’t show up without fear and you have the courage you need to try to manage your own emotions. Maybe now is the right time.
Anxiety rarely goes away on its own. Are you able to talk about the issues in your life? When you really care for yourself, you can care for others more also. Can you be selfless enough to get help when you know it will benefit more than just you?
