I have this continuous feeling of being underwater. I am always in a rush, I never feel there is enough time in a day. I have to get my work done, go to the gym, cook my dinner and attend to my household choirs. When I get home from work, my evenings seems to slip away and before I know it, it is 11 o’clock and time for bed. During the day my mind plays out all the tasks I have to finish when I get home and at night my mind plays out all the duties I have to attend to at work. Then it spirals into a digression of what am I doing with my life, what is the meaning of life and questioning what happens in the afterlife. I am left lying restless before calming myself down and slipping back to sleep. This feeling of drowning in my everyday life, is more common than I expected.
This unpleasant feeling of unease and instability is a minor case of anxiety. Anxiety disorders have been on the rise for the last 30 years, especially in young adults. The labour market is one main factor to consider, younger generations have a level of uncertainty when it comes to jobs security. The state of the economy is very different than it was in the 70s and 80s. Young adults are relying on their parents now more than ever for support.
In my own social circles, a large majority of the people in my life suffer from similar symptoms of anxiety of varying degrees. Whether it is panic attacks, sleep deprivation or social anxiety, we all have similar passing feelings. Finding inner peace is a constant struggle.
A couple of years ago, I was having very severe anxiety. I wasn’t getting any sleep and I was feeling anxious almost every day. My mom suggested that I go visit a specialist to help deal with my anxiety. My mom, as I have probably mentioned in previous posts, was into organic before organic was “cool”. She is a complete and utter naturalist and believes in holistic medicine over traditional medicine.
She recommended a coping method called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). By simply lightly tapping on specific areas of the body ( referred to as energy meridians) and reflecting on the situation that is giving you distress. As weird as it sounds it actually really helps.
Another coping mechanism she suggested to help me with concentration, was white chestnut oil. It is said to help with nagging and worrying thoughts. I used it a lot while I was a student and it really helped me to focus.
It is an ongoing process. In life, there is always going to be challenging or stressful situations, but finding ways to adapt and thrive is how we all grow as people. Anytime I feel overwhelmed I try to revert to healthier coping habits. It is hard when I feel pressed for production, to push myself to make healthy meals or go to the gym. I have to force myself to make the time so I can feel better in the long run.
