Anxiety

Hello. I am that fluttery, jumpy feeling you sometimes get in your stomach right before something important or new happens. You can call me Anxiety, but I am also known as worry and nervousness. You might feel me when you have to give a presentation in front of your whole class, or maybe when you’re standing on deck, waiting for your turn at bat in a big game. My primary job is to be your personal lookout. I exist to warn you about things that might be risky or challenging so you can be prepared. I’m not trying to be unkind or to stop you; I’m actually a part of you that is trying its best to keep you safe.

Sometimes, I can get a little too loud and make you feel overwhelmed, as if my warnings are the only thing you can hear. It can feel like I'm in charge. But here’s a secret that you should know: you have the power to turn my volume down. You can learn to be the boss of me. There are powerful tools you can use, like taking slow, deep breaths to calm your body when I make your heart race. You can also try breaking a big, scary task into tiny, manageable steps, which often makes me shrink down to a more helpful size. The goal isn't to get rid of me completely—after all, I'm here to help—but to learn how to listen to my warnings without letting me take over the controls. By understanding me, you learn to manage me. This way, my voice helps, but it doesn't control your journey.