We are still in the middle of Mental Health Awareness Month and I love seeing others take this opportunity to talk about it. Let’s talk about this ugly feeling that I and many are dealing with. Let’s welcome this feeling, pull a chair out for it even and look at it head on because it feels like there’s no way around this feeling when we are in it. Say Hellooo Anxiety, I see you, I feel you, I hear you, let’s address it but tell it that it will no longer get the best of you. Stress, nervousness, worry, and fear are all signs of anxiety and can manifest itself in sooo many ways. It can be easily triggered. The key for us is to be able to manage it and not be triggered. If it was that easy, why are so many people still dealing with it you ask? If it was that easy, why am I still shaking with this anxiety and crying at the same time? Because, it’s not an easy feat to conquer. It takes work. Therapy has taught me that real self care, takes WORK. This shit on social media you say, the beauty products, etc, is nothinggg like doing the real work of taking care of your mental health. Invest in it. I promise you, it is the greatest investment you will ever make.

If you are religious, I am sure your faith has some words that can help you through this anxiety. For instance, Philippians 4:6 states:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God

Yes, that brings me sooo much more peace and I feel like I am wrapping myself in a warm blanket when I read that, however it takes more than prayer to get past this feeling. It takes more than telling someone, “Oh it’s no big deal, you’ll be fine”. I hate when people say this shit. Writing about this topic makes me more anxious then ever but I feel like this is something that needs to be discussed. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am dealing with a mixture of postpartum depression and anxiety. I’ve recognized this and with the help of my therapist, I am working through it and would like to share what I am learning about myself.

Anxiety can trigger symptoms such as:

• panic
• irritability
• racing thoughts
• sleep issues
• agitation
• restlessness
• excessive fear and worrying

I am guilty of cleaning when I am feeling anxious. I will get on my hands and knees to scrub the floor or do loads and loads of laundry. Though my space is clean, the anxiety is still surfaced underneath somewhere because I did not address it head on. This is what therapy is for. I am a huge advocate for this to be honest. What are some ways you try to keep yourself together when you are experiencing any of these symptoms?

I am learning to take the needed space for myself , to take a minute for myself, to journal, to be around people that make me feel good in these moments of anxiety and separate myself from any triggers. Sometimes I will have a good cry, sometimes, I will shut everything off and work to change my state of mind. It’s crucial for me to establish boundaries for myself when I am feeling anxious. I show myself a bit of grace in these moments and set up boundaries. Without boundaries, I am putting myself in the position to be anxious. I need a fucking minute. Give me a minute. I’ll call you back. I’ll talk to you next week. Sometimes, you have to tell people this because certain people in your life can TRIGGER YOUR ANXIETY. If they don’t respect it, if they don’t respect you and your boundaries, then they aren’t good for your mental health at all.

Here some ways to deal with anxiety ( I also will be exploring some of these):

• exercise
• get outdoors
• meditate
• take deep breaths
• have a healthy diet
• laugh more

Anxiety and I have a toxic relationship that I no longer want to be involved with so I am working my ass off to get out of it, manage it, heal from it.

Here’s to taking care of our mental health this month and showing ourselves a bit more grace. We can get through this. We will get through this. Please be patient with yourself.