We’re living in uncertain times and many of us are feeling anxiety — that pulsing sensation in your stomach and uncontrollable, worrisome thoughts. Anxiety disrupts your day-to-day life: you might find it hard to fall asleep at night and feel jumpy. You might be easily startled by the noise of footsteps in your building or an unexpected sound.
By not carrying out your rituals, you might feel a temporary spike in your anxiety because you’re worried that your worst-case scenarios will come true if you don’t give in to your compulsions. But a few times of resisting your impulses weakens the stronghold that the disturbing thoughts have on you, and the anxiety begins to subside.When we’re ruminating or going over situations that make us feel anxious, scared or distressed, our mental health suffers.
Is there a short story you’ve always wanted to write, or an online self-improvement course you’ve wanted to take? Now is the time to do it. People are busy these days, multitasking with careers and families, so finding time in the day to do something you enjoy seems like an indulgence. Let go of that guilt. It’s really important to be kind to ourselves because this is how our self-compassion grows and anxiety begins to fade.
So ask yourself if there’s a constructive goal that you can work towards. And it doesn’t matter if you’re only devoting half an hour each day to it as long as you’re consistent. Doing this not only helps you get things done, but you begin to feel one key thing: self-satisfaction. When you’re self-satisfied, you begin to feel happier and like you can make a difference in your life with your actions.Sometimes we feel like we’re spiralling out of control and don’t know which way to turn.