“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
After working with thousands of individuals living with stress and anxiety, I have seen how each person’s strength has helped them realize their most effective and long-lasting relief from these symptoms. I have witnessed Moms and Dads, college students, and the elderly, people just starting out their career, and others in the midst of a career change, all find that “thing” inside them that begins to change their life around. Everyone has that greatness and fortitude within. It sometimes gets deeply buried when we repeatedly doubt our capabilities, believing external forces are greater than ourselves. We forget we possess this strength. However, once you break through that misconception you can begin turning your life around. Learning to trust yourself and believing you can accomplish great things is pivotal in discovering your strength.
Anxiety and chronic stress can wear a person down. They can cause uncomfortable feelings that can sap one’s energy, taking awaytheir initiative. They can chip away at one’s self-confidence, leaving a person thinking they have little to no control over their feelings.
It’s important to remember during those times when you are experiencing anxiety symptoms or facing a stressful situation, that you can change your course. You don’t have to keep living stressed and fearful no matter how long you’ve been that way. It may take longer than you feel up to, and it may take hard work, but you can create a new narrative for yourself.
Keep faith in yourself and don’t give up. Trust that you have what it takes to turn your anxious self into a capable, at peace individual.
It’s important to remember actions you take for which you are proud. Think of something recently that turned out well, because you believed in yourself. Write it down and put it somewhere you can see often such as on a mirror, on a corkboard, or in a scrapbook. It will become a valuable source of inspiration for you as you build upon it, working toward mastering anxiety and stress.