A 20 something’s guide to an anxious mind

Listening now…

[My Discover weekly on Spotify this week was totally on point. ]

 

 

Welcome to another guide for our 20 something confused souls. You can find my other guides here: Guide to adulting, Guide: 20 something myths, Guide to housework.

 

I pretend to be an expert and you read on foolishly! [ Kidding, I am a complete expert on this actual topic of anxiety. So, no worries. ]

Via:

 

If you are in your 20’s, my  guess is that your mind is like  a constant hamster wheel, squeaking obnoxiously in the middle of the night, when you were just about to hit your deepest sleep, only to be awakened by every thought of every possible scenario imaginable.

 

Via:

I’m with you, I hear you. 

 

I’m here to offer you a guide to navigating the hamster wheel mind of being in your 20’s.

 

First of all, is it any wonder we have minds running a mile a minute?! We have to think about: student loans, jobs to pay off those student loans, having jobs that are meaningful and that we like, moving out of our parent’s house, surviving on our own, learning how to cook, clean, pay bills, balance our work lives and our personal lives[ I swear this is a learning process forever]….etc, etc.

 

Here is my guide to:

A 20 something’s anxious mind: 

• Drown your worries in Netflix, blogging, music-whatever your vice is. [As long as it’s healthy. ]  Honestly, you may not want to hear it, but exercise is great too.

The trick is- you need to distract your mind. Find that hobby that makes all of your worries [or at least most of them] go away. 

For me personally,blogging has been therapeutic for me. More than I ever thought it would be. Also, the gym has been very relaxing too- I learned to look forward to getting my anxieties out while running and working out to music.

• Remember that most people are as nervous as you and don’t know what they are doing, either.

It’s true.

• Revel in the fact that you are young, have the world in front of you, and have time to figure it out. Revel in the fact that no time figuring it out is wasted. 

Sure, time is precious. But time learning who we are and becoming who we are I think is a necessary process as a young adult. If not now, when?

• Also, they say it’s about the journey, not the destination.

Frolic about in the fields,  in your buzzed confusion, while taking in the scenes surrounding you. Notice everything. Realize that you are a small fragment of this world, but a huge part of the lives of those you love and connect with. See that this is what matters most in the scheme of things. 

• Most of all I think- accept and trust your path and the uniqueness that it brings.

Know that it’s completely okay to drift apart from the “norm” and the anticipated path that many take.

I think a lot of our anxieties in our 20’s come from comparing ourselves to others. We know it’s not heathy, but we subconsciously do it anyway. Remember that a Facebook picture tends to hide the struggles going on beneath the surface- comparing ourselves to others without knowing the true story is just mis-leading.

• Canceling plans is okay…just don’t make a habit of it.

If you don’t feel like leaving your pajamas and your dog, that’s fine. But if it gets to the point of where it is an unhealthy anxiety-avoidance cycle or you find yourself isolating, that’s when it’s not okay.

 

Do you have any other tips that work for you personally?

Thanks for reading! XOXO