How to Overcome Anxious Thoughts
You’re anxious because you’re smart.
Getting hung up on the small things is easy. It’s what happens when intelligence meets sensitivity. You think, a lot, and therefore you worry, a lot. But you’re wasting your talents. If you can spend a plethora of energy worrying about every little thing, you can choose to instead spend a lifetime consciously funneling that energy into more beautiful causes. Being strategic doesn’t have to be unemotional.
Don’t believe the lies your brain tells you about yourself.
Anxiety is dishonest. It latches onto whatever you value and tells you the exact opposite of what you want to hear. Anxious thoughts always feel meaningful for some reason— inherent, important, looming, true. In actuality, they’re none of those things. These dark, empty clouds have nothing good to offer you. Let them slowly move along. Drag yourself away from the anxious belief that you are no good, unlovable, and unworthy. It’s time to step into the light. Choose to believe your honest thoughts instead. They reside in open, brighter spaces. They know the true stories about you— that you are kind and capable, with a pure heart.
Soaking up shame doesn’t serve you.
Bad things happen every day. You know this. You experience it. But have you ever considered that these bad things have nothing to do with you? Shame is a weird thing because it feels so personal. Our anxiety tells us we need to feel shame for everything, but mostly for small and unexceptional reasons. You made a mistake, you were misunderstood, you weren’t acknowledged, you misspoke— and somehow your inner voice feels instantly heavy, lethargic, even angry. Shame tells you you’re never going to be good enough. But this narrative is false. The truth is that you’re already good enough, just as you are. Anxiety and shame are lies disguised as purpose. They can’t touch the real you. You’re the truth in a body.
Choose to put yourself out there, over and over again.
You don’t need a permission slip from anyone to enjoy yourself. Chase imperfect joy, soak up flawed moments, and accept both the question marks and the stumbles. It’s all perfect and it’s all good, because it’s yours to experience. There’s meaning to be found in the dark spots, too. Anxious thoughts will always appear at some point, rattling around in your brain, telling you to back down, to keep quiet, to go back home, to give up before you even try. Respond by ignoring every anxious voice, accepting every beautiful risk, and saying yes to every new and scary thing. Honor your life by refusing to become afraid of the world.
Your purpose is to love. To love your decisions, your mind, your layers, and your life.
Your job is simple. Don’t become numb to the world. Remain gentle and bold. Don’t confuse societal expectations with personal satisfaction. Throw away the mangled definitions for love and success that the world has given you, and disregard the anxious lies your brain has told you about yourself. This has been going on for years, and the cycle ends now. The first step in making the world better is becoming reacquainted with your body, your dreams, your desires. Create your own definition of happiness and run with it. When opportunities for love and expression appear, the answer is always yes.
