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My Tried-and-True Steps for Getting Through Anxiety
I’ve been alive for 29 years, and I’ve suffered through anxiety for almost all of them. I might even consider myself an expert in being anxious, except that now I’m working toward becoming an expert in avoiding anxiety.
What am I doing to get there? I’m reading books, going to therapy regularly, writing a lot, and challenging my current beliefs. I’ve built a framework for this based on everything I’ve learned so far.
Here are my goals:
Don’t judge your thoughts or behaviors.
One of the key points I have learned in therapy is that emotions are just information, and we don’t need to judge them. It is enough just to notice them. I don’t need to call my anxiety “bad” or “good.” I just have it, and I need to notice it, consider why I might have it, and then move forward. I am not bad for feeling anxious.
Focus on Facts.
Some of the most difficult moments are those in which anxiety feels like it takes over, and you are just a ball of…