Not too long ago, I was laying down with my kiddo and she looked over at me and asked me if I had anxiety. I quickly closed my book and thought about the question. My first response was do you know what anxiety is? She replied, not really. This told me that this was something that she picked up or heard from somewhere. I preceded to tell her that I don’t think I have anxiety but that anxiety is when you worry about things that can sometimes be out of your control. 

She asked me if I had panic attacks and what they were… she was coming with the big questions. I told her a panic attack was when you got so worried and stressed out about something that sometimes it got hard to breathe. I then told her I would do some research for her and come back with some better answers. 

Anxiety – “A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.”

Some symptoms of anxiety according to Mayo Clinic – 

• Feeling nervous, restless or tense
• Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
• Having an increased heart rate
• Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Feeling weak or tired
• Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
• Having trouble sleeping
• Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
• Having difficulty controlling worry

Home Remedies to help combat anxiety according to Mayo Clinic – 

• Keep physically active
• Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs
• Quit smoking and cut back or quit drinking caffeinated beverages 
• Use stress management and relaxation techniques
• Make sleep a priority
• Eat healthy

I have been pretty fortunate to not have anxiety play a huge role in my life. Now, I will admit that I am an over-thinker. I can go down a path quickly and get lost in thought and future conversations that may never even happen. For me, focusing on the present seems to help. I tell myself to stop, relax, and try to think about something else. To not make assumptions but to wait and see how things play out on there own instead.

For me, this was a great reminder that – You never know what someone else is going through or what they are having a hard time with. Choose kindness next time you get frustrated with someone. Choose joy next someone gives you a hard time. Choose grace next time someone cuts you off. You never know what they may be dealing with internally. 

Also, if you have kiddos, just assume, they are consuming everything that goes on around them. Have the tough conversations with them. Heck, I didn’t even know what anxiety was until my later 20s, now my 11 year old is asking me about it. Don’t be afraid to have the conversations, we need more of these conversations. 

As always share some love, we could all use a little more love.

XOXOXO

Casey