Suhylah S.
Photography by Nia Jones
If you’re reading this, get up and do something.
It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Yet when dealing with anxiety, even the smallest of tasks can feel like mountains. It’s immobilizing sometimes, isn’t it? Being trapped in a cycle of worry and apprehension, constantly wringing your hands and sweating.
But here’s the thing about anxiety: it’s conquerable.
I don’t think you can get rid of anxiety in your life completely, but you can learn to coexist with it, to cope. Honestly, it began with that first step - acknowledging that I even had anxiety. It’s easy to brush off the racing heart and sweaty palms for just another bout of nerves. But the constant boulder in the pit of my stomach and sense of impending doom became difficult to ignore.
Honestly, there are some days where I can’t really do anything but lay in my bed all day - not even scrolling on my phone or reading or watching movies - just worrying. About all the things I have to do. The people I have to talk to. One day, I just had to move. So I got up and started walking. Around my room, around my house, outside. Moving around was really grounding and helped to break up anxious thoughts.
Those were my first steps towards conquering this – acknowledging it and then just getting up. Finding something that will ground you - even something as simple as moving your body. Whatever can help ease your mind, unfurrow your brow, and lift some burden off of your shoulders.
Once you do that and accept that anxiety is part of your life, then you can seek out help.
Opening up about your struggles can be terrifying at first, but it can also be incredibly freeing to know you have a support system ready to help you when you need it.
I think the most important, and the most difficult, aspect of overcoming anxiety is learning to challenge your thoughts. Anxiety has a funny way of making mountains out of molehills, turning the most mundane and normal situations into catastrophes in our heads. I try to be mindful of when my thoughts are spiraling, to question their validity, and challenge the beliefs and fears that fuel my anxiety.
Of course, there are setbacks and inconsistencies. Some days, I feel a heavy weight on my chest and others I feel light as a feather. But I know that progress isn’t always linear and it's okay to stumble a little as long as I pick myself back up again.
I’m learning to be more patient and gentle with myself and celebrate the good days.
So, if you’re reading this, get up and do something. Move your body. Stretch. Take a walk. Take that first step toward learning how to cope with your anxiety.
Suhylah S., Virginia Commonwealth University
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