Anxiety has a way of blocking out anything that is good or rational. It causes us to fixate on every bad scenario and any what-if that may come our way. It can become a cloud that blocks out the sun, causing us to only see the hard right in front of us instead of the good all around us.
This free resource has been created for you - to help you pinpoint areas in your life that you tend to let stay in maintenance mode and to help you move past mindless living to intentional practices.
Research has shown that children of a parent with an anxiety disorder have a 33 percent higher chance of having it themselves. I can despair over the fact that maybe my kids will have to navigate life with the mental health diagnosis, or I can give what I wish I would have received in my teenage years as my own mental illness began to take root.
Are you struggling right now and finding yourself asking "Can we just skip to the good part?" Seasons of illness, poor relationships, hard parenting, tough jobs, dark mental health - the list goes on. Sure, the easy route would be to skip to the good part, get past all this angst, and finally feel like things are good.
We can hold on to the belief that if we just work a little harder, pray a little more, have a little more faith, push ourselves that extra step, then everything will start falling into place. But eventually, it will burn us out. What then?
How we handle our thoughts is important to how we handle our anxiety. But equally so is our ability to communicate between our mind and our body. Our mind may believe that we are safe, but our body may not have received the message. Such was the instance for me in the kitchen that evening. I knew I was safe and there was nothing to worry about, but my body hadn't gotten the memo.
In addition to finally getting the practical help I needed, I also made the surprising discovery that embracing the reality of my limited number of days on earth has been key to unlocking the peace I had been longing for.
When I was at my lowest point with my anxiety and depression, it took all of my mental energy to convince myself to get out of bed and move through my day. Most of my days I went through the motions of getting the kids off to school, working my secretary job, and being back home in time to welcome the kids home from school. Outwardly, I did my best to hold myself together when inwardly I was vacillating between wanting to cry in the dark or scream into a pillow.
Feeling overwhelmed? Get tips and tools to reduce stress, improve mental health and maintain balance in your life. Learn more here!
Do you find yourself overreacting to little irritations? Your partner forgot to pick up something on the way home - and it sets you off in a bad mood for the entire evening. Your child tracked mud on the freshly mopped floor - and you explode. You find yourself steaming with resentment when your boss simply asks you to complete one more task before headed home. If these types of things are causing your mood to tip from 'barely holding on' to 'full blown anger' it's time to take a closer look.
