Stop Worrying. It Gives You Wrinkles.

HI GUYS. Its been a minute but your favorite bitch is back. I’ve been having a good ass time the past three months. Drinking too much alcohol, listening to too much Drake (just kidding you can never listen to too much Drake) and enjoying my life. Sue me.

Amongst all the fun I’ve been having recently, there’s been this overarching blanket of anxiety that’s been almost constantly hovering over me. I don’t know what it’s from, or why it all of a sudden started. I’ve never really been one to have anxiety or fear it, but it’s been here a lot lately, just hanging out. Kind of annoying tbh.

The first few times I had this anxiety I let it do its thing and just take over my day completely. However, the past few times I’ve had that feeling in my chest I decided to do something about it.

There are things in life that are going to bring stress, or make you worry. And that’s completely normal and I think healthy; it shows that you actually give a shit about those things. But there is a very fine line between a normal amount of stress and worry, and then letting it ruin your day and affecting too many parts of your life.

This is the type of stress that fortunately we as human beings can absolutely control. However, controlling that stress and anxiety takes effort and constant communication with yourself.

I was scrolling through Facebook a few months ago, around October I want to say, and I came across a video of a man named Gaur Gopal Das. Gaur is an Indian motivational speaker who travels all over the world and does things like TED talks and life-coaching speeches to help people move through life with as much strength and happiness, and as little anxiety and stress as possible. I have watched several of his videos since my discovery of who he is and what he preaches and if you ever need a little life lesson or pick-me-up, do yourself a favor and google the guy. Anyways, the video I found in October was about worrying. Guar was speaking to a crowd of people and put this slide up on a projector screen:

I love this flow chart. I love the fact that this man thought this through and put it into a simple form of understanding for anyone going through some form of stress. I think this diagram kind of forces us to not focus on the solution to your problem, but your problem in itself. What about this problem that is giving you anxiety or making you worry, can you attack head on to stop this stress?

Now there’s obviously a catch, applying this flow chart to your everyday life is definitely easier said than done. But like I mentioned above, constant positive communication with yourself is how stress, worry, and anxiety can stop. But constant and negative over-communication with yourself, or overthinking, is how stress, worry and anxiety can start.

We are all victims of overthinking. Me and many different friends of mine have this conversation often. We try to stop each other from overthinking and letting the “what if’s” ruin the happiness you have in the present.

There are things that we cannot control; the weather, time, the past. But we can control the future. And even more importantly, the present. I have come to the conclusion that regardless of our pasts, and regardless of the hardships that we all go through and are going through right now, trying to live your life for yourself and for your happiness is of the utmost importance. Good times will come and go, bad times will come and go, and we will gain strength and wisdom through them all.

Worrying about the future and dwelling on the past will not only prevent you from living in the moment, but it will prevent you from recognizing how beautiful that moment really is. If you cannot immediately solve a problem you that you are currently being faced with, time and patience will. If you cannot solve a problem because it is out of your control, life will on its own. If you can solve a problem that you are able to figure out on your own, break it down piece by piece, work with yourself, be kind to yourself, and do not worry.

Life is beautiful. Enjoy every part of it while you can. Embrace the positives and be open to the negatives, because in the end and in the future, they will only make you a better, stronger, happier person.

In times of struggle, anxiety, and stress, we tend to forget about the beauty around us. There is some form of beauty everywhere you look. Whether it’s in the form of another human being, or a specific place you’re in, or the extra feta cheese in your Greek salad. Whatever it is, it’s there. You might have to take a step back and center yourself to realize this and to find this beauty. But it’s there. And it will always be there. So don’t worry.