For many individuals, overstimulation can lead to prolonged anxiety. No, in this case, I do not mean stress, which is defined as a large amount of pressure or tension put onto an individual at a particular time, I mean anxiety. That feeling of unease, nervousness, or worry about something we are either unable to control or unable to identify.
For me, anxiety hits at the most inconvenient and unexpected times. Many of those times, I am unable to identify the root of my anxiousness, causing the anxiety to increase along with a certain amount of stress and personal aggravation. So what exactly do I do? I talk it out to myself. Yes, it may seem odd to spend time talking aloud when there’s no one in the room, but for me, I struggle to share my struggles with others in my personal life.
I prefer to keep certain things in my private life private, and discussing it with others makes that difficult. However, it does allow me to think about my thoughts, identify my stressors and try to get down to the root of my anxiety. Eliminate the middleman, and attempt to address and vocalize the issue yourself. For me, when I think of the word “anxiety,” certain personal names, thoughts, or items immediately pop into my head.
Do I know why? Normally not.
But by looking at each of these things and attempting to make connections back, or understand why these things came to my mind, I can attempt to address each thing one at a time instead of as a collective group. This not only relieves some of the built-up anxiousness but also allows the stress associated with not being able to identify or organize my thoughts.
So how can you use this yourself? Do as I do and think of the word “anxiety.” Think of you personally and state, “my anxiety.” Think of the first thing that comes into your head. Don’t immediately push it away or overthink it, take whatever term comes to mind and take a step back.
Think about that term.
Why did this come to mind?
How could this word be affecting me in ways I may not know?
Analyze it, and then verbalize it. State why you believe it’s bothering you. Continue to do so with each individual thought in your head, addressing them as pieces instead of a whole. This will not only allow for relief of the minor stressors but a collective reduction in overall anxiety and the unknowns associated with it.