Ok picture it; you are up, dressed, handbag in hand and heading out the door.
You get to the end of the street and suddenly you think did I turn off the iron? Yeh, of course I did, I always do.
But then that tiny little anxious voice at the back of your brain says, are you sure? That tiny little voice within five minutes can bring on a whole host of trouble. Within seconds you go from a casual stroll to get some much needed fresh air to being rooted to the spot with indecision.
Welcome to the world of anxiety.
The dictionary defines it as
1. A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
2. Desire to do something, typically accompanied by unease.
Anxiety takes all forms, it is healthy in the right place but for those of us who are prone to real anxiety attacks, it can be crippling. I have one friend who can’t even get out of bed when the levels of anxiety stress her out, she feels safer to stay where she is in case anything happens that might make it worse. To some that may seem ridiculous but when you are in a full blown attack, nothing makes sense and it completely exhausts you mentally and emotionally. For many heightened anxiety brings on fear, doubt, lack of self-belief and confidence, all of which can turn you into a puddle of tears and unable to complete a coherent thought!
It is therefore so important, in my opinion, to set yourself small achievable goals. Make them simple, break them down into small chunks so that they are easy to achieve. That way even the smallest goal seems like a victory as you work towards the greater prize. A simple walk to the shop becomes broken down into get up, get dressed, check money in purse, hold keys and phone in hand, put on jacket, leave house. Each step a tiny goal but all helping to return to normality. It’s a bit like going to the gym, you don’t start off running marathons and lifting huge weights, you build up slowly and safely, stretching yourself further when you are comfortable.
So as Ms Martell once sang, it is most definitely One Day at a Time !
Gin or Gym 