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Thank you for listening

Managing feelings of anxiety can make you feel alone but in ‘Thank you for listening’ the author reminds us that reassurance can be found in the stories of others.

looking up the trunk of a bare tree

I have not really spoken to anyone about it before, but I know that it can be good for people to know they are not alone with how they feel.

It may not be a severe mental illness but I feel I suffer with anxiety.

I’m not afraid though. It’s good to acknowledge that it’s the way my brains works and although it’s not ideal, the important thing is knowing what can make me feel better.

I can’t control some of the thoughts I have; the ones that tell me how rubbish I am and that no one really likes me and that I’m ugly.

The worst part is when people in your life reaffirm your anxieties, for example when your boyfriend who loves you and knows how insecure you are, cheats on you….

But there are also great people in my life who help calm my anxieties and reassure me that things aren’t as terrible as I feel they are.

This might not mean much to some people but I hope it at least makes someone realise they may not be the only one who thinks like that.

I know I really benefitted from reading other people’s stories.

As a final note, I’m no professional but here are some tips that have helped me:

  • Giving myself some space to calm my thoughts
  • Having some quiet breathing time
  • And just being kind to myself.

I once read that you should say to yourself what you would say to someone you loved who was hurting, and that made an impact on me.

Thank you for listening.

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