Fear and anxiety can stop us from living our best, most fulfilling lives. I was recently hiking in the Usery mountains of Arizona. I’m not a huge fan of heights. In fact I could probably say I have a fear of heights. Anytime I’m a few feet off the ground I experience very typical physical signs of anxiety: dizziness, racing heart rate, sweating, and shakiness. However, three years ago, I made a commitment to myself that I would not allow my fear and anxiety to control my life.
There I was hiking in the mountains. At first, the trail started off easy. Nice, wide, sandy trail that meandered through some cacti. Then it started to head up into the mountains. It got narrower. It got steeper. At times the trail completely disappeared as it turned into a path full of shale. In one spot, I was scrambling over nothing but rock. In that moment I felt the telltale signs of fear beginning. What was I thinking? I don’t like heights. I’m not sure where the trail is, and it would be easier to turn around and head back. But I was able to recognize that was simply anxious, fearful thoughts. I took a moment to calm myself, re-evaluate my situation, get a drink, and then get back into my rational brain. I quickly finished the scramble up the rocks to find the trail clearly marked just ahead of me. I continued my upward journey. Eventually I found myself at the top of a mountain. The views were spectacular. Words simply cannot describe the beauty of what lay before me. As I stood on top of the mountain absorbing the breathtaking magnificence in front of me, I realized I may have missed it all had I listed to my anxiety.
Unfortunately, fear and anxiety are powerful motivators that keep us from living our best life. We miss out on jobs, relationships, and experiences because we are afraid. While anxiety is a normal physical reaction to unsafe situations, many of the situations we see as unsafe really are not unsafe. Think about it. Imagine you are anxious about applying for a new job. What about that is unsafe? Nothing. But when we are anxious, we have multiple irrational thoughts. Lots of what ifs. “What if I fail? What if I’m rejected. What if something happens at that job in five or ten years?” You get the point. Now take that example and apply it to things that cause you to feel anxious: relationships, school, work, public places, finances, health, etc.
The key to overcoming anxiety is to recognize it for what it is. When you find yourself experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety (headache, upset stomach, pounding heart, sweating, shakiness, dizziness, etc) stop and calm your body. A deep breath, a drink of water, mindfulness, whatever works for you to calm yourself. This will allow you to move back into a rational mindset. Remember, anxiety causes us to think very irrationally. Pay attention to your thoughts when you experience anxiety. Are you noticing a lot of “what if” thoughts? When I was hiking some of my thoughts were:” What if I can’t find the trail? What if I fall?” I’m confident in my hiking abilities and my sense of direction so I was able to realize those thoughts were irrational. Had I listened to them I would have absolutely missed an incredible experience.
Fear and anxiety can rob us of so many things. Don’t let fear and anxiety dictate your life, your relationships, your health, your happiness, and your mental wellbeing. Become aware of what causes you to feel anxious. Pay attention to your thoughts. Then begin to overcome that. If you find that you are trying to do this but struggling, reach out to a professional. Life is full of amazing, fulfilling, rewarding experiences and relationships. One way you can live a peaceful, fulfilling life is my overcoming anxiety.
To Health, Hope and Healing
Krista