How do I know that anxiety disorder is real? I can have no mental reaction to a situation, but I still have a physiological response. I don't consider myself someone who gets anxious about social situations because mentally, I'm totally fine with it. The thing is, even when I feel perfectly comfortable, sometimes by body still gets a stress trigger. There is nothing more frustrating.
I've never really heard of anyone else experiencing this problem, which is perhaps why I want to share this. It's not something anyone ever talks about. As a matter of fact, I didn't know that my anxiety could even trigger these purely physiological responses until this past year.
The best example I can give is singing. I love to sing. I'm actually pretty decent at singing, too. In college, I would go to the weekly campus karaoke night with my best friend, and I discovered my body's frustrating response to a situation most people consider stressful. I just wanted to sing. I didn't mind the group of people (it was relatively small, 10-15 people). But as soon as I started to sing, my voice was higher pitched, I couldn't seem to change keys, and I felt hot. I didn't feel nervous one bit, but my body decided I felt that way. As a comparison, when I'm alone, my singing is perfectly normal.
I also encountered the same issue in high school when I was in theatre. Not one bit of nerves, but as soon as I hit the stage, my body betrayed me. I truly wonder if anyone else has experienced this same issue. I cannot explain how irritating it is to feel like your body is out of control in a situation where you feel controlled.
That's a common issue with anxiety: control. We want to be in control of every detail of our lives, so when the unexpected happens, it can be alarming. You know what I'm talking about; people call us perfectionists, say we have OCD. They don't understand that keeping organized means our lives are in control. And being in control can actually help when other situations go a different way than expected.
It can be difficult to give up that control, but we need to realize not every situation needs to fall into our hands. I challenge anyone out there - whether you have anxiety or not - to let go of some of your control. No, I'm not saying you should go jump naked in a public fountain. That's illegal.
I'm saying it's time to embrace the unexpected. You had a project at work that just got changed drastically without your input? Channel that lack of control into creative thinking. You're good at overthinking, aren't you? If you know your body and mind's reaction to stressful situations, it can be helpful to channel those reactions into the situation in a positive way. If you're not completely aware of your reactions yet, then that's my challenge for you. Pay attention to what triggers your anxiety and how you perceive those situations. That not only leads to greater self control, but you may find new ways of dealing with anxiety.
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