How To Stave Off Pessimism

There are a lot of bad things associated with having an anxiety disorder but luckily for us one of them is not feeling panicked 24 hours a day. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when you can feel continuous anxiety for a day, weeks or even months but by and large you do get something of a break from time to time.

But what happens when the opposite is true and you’ve been feeling good for several weeks only to find that your anxiety is still there? These are the times when you have to learn how to stave off pessimism and the return of the woes me syndrome that so many of us endure.

I think it’s fair to say that its happened to nearly all people that have experienced prolonged anxiety. You have a horrible streak followed by what appears to be the light at the end of the tunnel only to have all your hopes of peace smashed to bits by a sinking sense of panic and fear.

When anxiety and intense apprehension return after being on vacation it can be disheartening and create a sense of hopelessness and vigorous self doubt about what new things anxiety will bring.

To deal with this very common sentiment we must, excuse me for busting out the cliche, take it one day at a time. Realizing this can help you enjoy the good days and accept the bad ones too. You definitely don’t want to get too down when the anxiety returns and an effective way to do this is by accepting and hoping.

Acceptance will grant you the not so magical ability to cope with the chest pains, lump in the throat, palpitations, shaking, insomnia, etc. It will allow you to find that space in your mind that stays rational despite the panic and primal fear that you feel sometimes daily. And as corny as it sounds when things do get rough hoping for better days is not at all a waste of time.

Although its very hard to picture while in the midst of panic or the return of anxiety you know deep down that this is not going to last forever. It’s like a nasty cold we can’t cure that comes in waves and we sometimes have to sit around and wait for it to subside. But in the meantime don’t beat yourself up and instead focus on the fact that you will recover from the current wave of anxiety that you may be experiencing.

I think hope gets a bum rap as a fanciful time killer but ultimately having a real since of hope creates the basis for change in your life and most importantly in your perception of anxiety and its affect on you. The same can be said for acceptance which has also become a semi-lame term used as a catch all for people going through hard times.

But if you make a real attempt to do these two things when you start to feel bad again I think it can “balance” you in way and provide the silent strength you need to ride out a particulary difficult stint of nerves. When the anxiety returns, and it will, you have to reject the temptation to become angry and pessimistic. Stay rooted in the facts and don’t  stray into the no mans land of what if. You will feel better again just give it some time.