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Since I have already started this month with a post on living with anxiety and my experience so far, I have decided to continue and share this month other insights on this topic, especially since it is such a struggle for many of us nowadays as we constantly get bombarded with stimuli and get into many triggering situations that can feel challenging and overwhelming, not just for sensitive people but also for must of us. While in the previous post I focused, lets say more on the negative, or better yet describing the general features of living with anxiety, for the next posts I will share with you the good coping mechanisms, as well as some of the radical shifts that I have experienced over the years in relationship to this matter, that have actually made a huge difference in my life and helped me live with more ease and grace on a day to day basis, as well as be more gentle, kind and patient, not only with myself, but also with my surroundings and with the process of healing in and of itself.

Some of areas where I was able to notice the most significant improvement are: social connections and my own relationship with my body, through working with and acknowledging my eating patterns and lifestyle beliefs. As you probably already know, if you have been reading any of my previous posts on this topic, I have been struggling for years with body image, as well as with a disconnect from my body and on top of that, I have experienced health problems in many areas, but mostly gastrointestinal issues, as well emotional issues, such as mood and general wellbeing distress. Of course, I am a firm believer that mental health and psychological, as well as physical health are strongly intertwined and influence each other to a great degree but there is also the spiritual aspect of our existence that should not get neglected either. Sometimes, we do not have to have all the answers or force ourselves to get the answers, as we keep trying to control how things should unfold in our lives, but instead just let go of the struggle and embrace the miracles of life as they unfold naturally and gracefully. A miracle is a shift in perception and sometimes, especially when we are feeling low or lost, that is exactly what we need in order to get back on track and experience life truly and fully.

I used to be terrified of social interactions and in conjunction with the disturbed perception of body image as well an self esteem struggles that I have dealt with over the years, but with time, practice and patience things did get better, gradually and sometimes smoothly, some other times not so smoothly, but what matters most is that perseverance and a true commitment to oneself does pay off in time. It simply brings us closer to our true selves and to being true to ourselves. There will always be struggles and changes in life, but as we look back on the progress that we have already made so far towards a specific goal or goals that have a deep significance for us, we can begin to shift into a better, healthier and more helpful mindset and therefore, as a result, get to then experience better circumstance as well as attract different outcomes in our day to day lives. Life is a journey and sometimes things do fall easily into place with ease and grace, but some other times it does take a while and some effort in order to make sense of the experience.

As I look back now on how everything shifted and changed over the years, especially when it comes to my relationship with food and my relationship with my body, and notice that I am able to enjoy myself on a day to day basis and that I have functional coping mechanisms that can help me manage difficult situations, as well as when it comes to social interactions and getting to know and understand better my wants, needs, as well as establishing healthy boundaries, I am deeply connected to experiencing a sense of inner peace and gratitude for all the progress that I have already made so far. There is still a long way to go as generalised / unspecified anxiety disorder can get triggered ar literally any point and by literally any thing, but I do have have faith that as I know better, I am doing better and I can easily navigate those times of change or uncertainty with more ease and grace, and not only that but also get to see anxiety not as an enemy, but instead as a guide back to my own self, my unmet needs, and reveal new ways to understand and accept, as well as deeply love myself unconditionally, especially by feeling a profound gratitude for all the lessons that I learned so far and a profound awe and enthusiasm towards what comes next.