Anxiety & Vulnerability

So, I started thinking over this ‘ writing a blog’ option. From there, it was like, okay, I could do that. What’s the big deal? Just write about stuff? 

Where did I land with this topic of thought? 

Well, it’s exposure, exposing myself. In exposing myself, that tapped into being vulnerable. Allowing myself to be vulnerable to write authentically and honestly. 

Vulnerability. 

Sit with that thought, that feeling right now. 

For me, I began to feel so uncomfortable. I felt fear. I felt unsafe. I felt resistance. 

With those feelings in my mind, why would I willingly choose to sit in that space? 

The anxiety attached to those feelings was awoken. The ‘what if’s’ and ‘ worst case scenarios’ came flooding in. 

Anxiety leads to way too many thoughts and without any strategies to fall on, it can become a mind field, literally. 

So, I flipped the direction of the internal dialogue. 

Yes, these feelings are real, I know as I feel them. There is no need to dismiss, they are just feelings, and feelings come, feelings go. 

I give these feelings space and time to be heard, to be felt. I listen to what they want to say. I allow myself to feel them. 

No reaction. No response. Just awareness. 

Just understanding.

No judgement. 

Acceptance. 

In giving these feelings this moment to be heard and felt, for me, it’s honouring who I am, who I have been and who I want to be. 

There is no urgency to make a decision in that moment. There is no invisible deadline. 

In giving myself this time, the feelings are expressed. I can return later in the hour, the day, days or week. 

Sometimes, our anxiety gets so heightened, we can feel like we need to do something, say something; have a reaction or response. 

However, we don’t. 

We can take time. 

Give ourselves time.

Nurture the feelings that have arisen.

Listen to the thoughts that are barrelling forward. 

And that is all. 

Let the moment pass, as all moments pass. No moment is ever the same, even when it feels like we are stuck in ongoing cycle. There are differences, small or big. 

Come back later when the calm has returned.