There was a point a few years where I realized something about myself that caught me off guard.
I’m a high-functioning anxious person.
That label gave me mixed emotions.
High-functioning? Sure, I’ll take that.
Anxiety? Not so much.
From the outside, everything looked fine.
I was going about my days, checking the boxes, keeping things moving.
But underneath it all, my body was carrying something I wasn’t fully acknowledging.
I was holding onto anxiety without really letting myself feel it.
And eventually…
my body stopped cooperating.
It showed up in a way I couldn’t ignore.
Three major anxiety attacks that left me crying for no reason at all , wondering what was happening to me… and if I was losing my mind.
It was overwhelming.
And it was also a turning point.
With the help of a therapist, medication and laying down everything no-essential in my life, including my business, I started to understand what was really going on beneath the surface.
(And yes… a lot of it traced back further than I expected. Childhood has a way of showing up whether we invite it or not.)
But more than anything, I started to understand this:
You can ignore emotions for a while.
But you can’t avoid them forever.
They will come back.
These days, when anxiety shows up, it doesn’t feel quite as confusing.
Not because it’s gone…
…but because I know how to meet it differently.
There are a few simple things I come back to over and over again.
Nothing complicated.
Nothing fancy.
Just small ways of working with what I’m feeling instead of trying to push it away.
What Helps Me
Moving my body
Sometimes the simplest thing is the most effective.
Going for a walk — especially outside and with the our crazy yellow Lab Nash, — helps me process what I’m feeling in a way sitting still never could.
No podcast. No distractions.
Just movement, fresh air, and space to think (or not think at all).
Letting my mind rest somewhere else
When everything feels heavy, I’ve learned that giving my mind something gentle to focus on can help.
Reading. Writing. Trying something creative.
Not as a way to avoid what I’m feeling…
…but as a way to give my nervous system a break.
Not doing it alone
This one took me longer to fully accept.
Having people around me who feel safe — who can listen without trying to fix everything — has made a huge difference.
And when that hasn’t been available, asking for support from someone trained to help has been just as important.
None of these things “fix” anxiety.
But they help me move through it.
And for me, that’s the difference.
I don’t see anxiety the same way I used to.
It’s not something to push down or power through.
It’s something to pay attention to.
Something to understand.
Something to meet with a little more care than I used to.
What helps you come back to yourself when things start to feel heavy?
