Anxiety is like being stuck in a circle of momentum – You are constantly moving within a defined set of parameters that represent your mental resilience. If you move out of that circle, things get a little messy.

Every single person deals with varying levels of anxiety almost everyday. It can be as small as worrying about what you’re going to wear, to as big as feeling like you’re going to pass out and die shortly after. With this in mind, you try to combat this anxiety by finding distractions, such as spending time with friends or family, engaging in a hobby, listening to music, etc. But the moment you catch an anxiety jet stream, you find yourself spinning out of control. Eventually that jet stream pushes you to the point in which you’ve passed the outer rim of your circle, or the line of your own mental resilience.

At which point your brain cries for…

Depending on the person, just one anxiety jet stream can push them out of their circle, causing them to be lost within their own momentum of thought. And sometimes, it takes a lot of time and energy just to slow down again so you can find yourself back in your mentally stable circle.

The interesting thing about anxiety is that almost anything can become an anxiety jet stream depending on the day and person.

Oh that guy gave you a funny look. You’re pretty sure you already looked like trash today anyway. Great. – +10 points to Anxiety.

Been having recurring thoughts about feeling incompetent but you’re dealing with it? Nah, let’s have you screw up here just to reaffirm you actually are. Thanks brain. – +25 points to Anxiety.

Meet someone new that you like and want to impress? Here. Have some crippling social anxiety that causes you to literally curl up in a ball and make semi-audible noises that are meant to be offered as some form of communication. They’ll understand, I swear (but not really.) – +50 points to Anxiety. 

Woah, you have enough anxiety jet stream points to level up! Here’s a cookie and a complimentary side of internal suffering.

So with anxiety hitting us in different ways everyday – How are we expected to cope?

Here’s what you do –

You work on making your circle bigger. 

Even though it may not feel like it, we are in control of our own momentum. You will only fly as fast as you let yourself. If you allow yourself to be pulled within the jet stream, rather than push against it, you’ll be out of your mental circle in seconds. But if you work on talking yourself down from anxious feelings, against that sudden burst of unwanted momentum, you’ll only become more capable to control your own speed within your circle.

Your brain says you look like trash today? – Flaunt yourself next to a garbage can, you’re gorgeous.

Your brain says you’re incompetent? – Kindly remind your brain you got out of bed this morning, and if that’s not competence, you don’t know what is.

Your brain turns you into a ball of awkward around new people you like? – Be the best goddamn ball of awkward you can be and make them fall in love with you anyway, because there is so much about you to love.

Every time you feel anxious is an opportunity to make your own circle bigger. The more you fly against the jet stream, the bigger your circle gets, and the bigger your circle gets, the more mentally capable you are to handle what life has to throw at you.

So get out there, and make the world your circle.

What do you do to combat your anxious thoughts? Leave a comment below!