Writing Through Anxiety

Sometimes, all I can do is write.

Sometimes, it's the only way I know how to make my way out of intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts come with a mind that is prone to anxiety and can easily panic. A dear friend reminded me, one of the only ways to cope is to write...and the gym. She's right. Writing processes things out of our minds and puts them somewhere else. It is one of the best ways to move beyond good old anxiety. As is moving our body. Sometimes I forget we have gallons of blood pumping through our bodies, and a bazillion cells working every second to keep us alive. We need to move, other wise we get stagnate and that's not good for any body.

I try to remember to simplify. There is a deep contentment living in the simplicities of life.

Enjoying a cup of tea, a brisk walk with a dear friend, sitting and staring off into the ocean. These are the simple parts of life that provide fulfillment.

Real fulfillment. It's in being connected. We need connection with each other and connection to that which we evolved from which is nature. These connections feed the parts of ourselves looking for something else, something bigger than we are, to fill our voids. We gotta talk it out, gain perspective, and share our stories with each other. We all go through the same shit - just with a different story line.

We need to let other people inside of our minds, our stories, our thoughts. Immediately upon doing so, theres a release of pressure, of energy that's been developing for months or an entire lifetime. We need more awareness and sensitivity around mental health. It no longer needs to be labeled as something so taboo. We are afraid to share because of shame. Even though “normal” isn’t real. Truth is, the comfort that comes from sharing and someone else saying "me too" is priceless. It's real.

When we strip away everything external that belongs to a human being, what do we have? We have our body, our mind, and our soul. The 3 most important things to care for and nourish.

The body - move. move. move. We have to pump our blood and sweat. We have to move our miraculous body because that's what it was designed to do.

The mind - write, talk, tweet -- whatever you need to move what's going on inside, outside. Put it somewhere else besides storing it inside. Just be you, seriously. You’re special. Be real with yourself and those around you.

The soul - do you believe we have a soul? I do, I feel it. I don't think there's a point of living on this planet in one body, only one time, going through all of the shit we go through if it weren't for a deeper meaning. But, thats what the mind does. Mind creates meaning. I still think we have a soul. I do things that feed my "soul" and not any other part of me. I can feel when I am connected directly to it. I know people that I sense I knew before, there's no way we just met. We’re all learning how to be human together.

Let's talk to each other, let's talk about what we experience. Because we won't lose anything, we only gain.