5 Things to Remember When You're Anxious

Anxiety can be a real bitch. It pays no mind to the person who feels like they’re thriving. It spares no mercy when you’re trying to fall asleep and every single worry rushes to the surface. Anxiety can take on many forms, sometimes it makes its presence known or it manifests within your subconscious. Regardless, here are some things to remember when you’re struggling with your anxiety:

1. Accept what you cannot change.

If you care about something enough to want it to change, then it matters to you. It can matter, but it does not need to consume your world. We can only control (or work on controlling) how we react; everything else is noise. But once you can accept what you cannot change, it will bring you peace. It doesn’t mean you don’t care. It just means you don’t need to hold onto someone else’s hurt who doesn’t even know they’re hurting. It will set you free from the overwhelming burden to fix people who are not your responsibility to fix.

2. Silence the noise.

When you feel your anxiety consuming you, take a moment to do something for yourself. Play music. Sing. Dance. Create. Do something meaningful and positive that brings you joy. Whatever you choose, do it with confidence. Give yourself 10 minutes or an hour to get out of your head. It won’t heal everything, but it will allow you a moment of euphoria. Let it serve as a reminder of what your happiness can be like. It can be real and you can experience it. Don’t let anxiety tell you otherwise.

3. You’re not alone because you are loved.

Sometimes it may feel like the world is caving in, but you’re never as alone as you feel because you are loved. You may not feel it all the time, because anxiety has a strange way of filtering out what’s important. If you’re lucky, you’ll have the right kind of people to consistently remind you of your inner beauty. If you don’t have those people around you, then celebrate your small victories. It will build your confidence slowly, but self-love is the truest love.

4. Talk to someone.

The first step toward conquering your anxiety is to speak up. Find a trusted individual, whether it be a friend, family member or therapist. Going to therapy doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means quite the opposite. It shows you’re strong enough to recognize you need help and to realize you can grow. Even if the people around suggest going to therapy, that doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. Therapy doesn’t need to be public information, unless you want it to be.

5. It gets better.

Don’t ever forget that it gets better. You are loved. You are capable. Celebrate the small victories and don’t let the demons win. Anxiety is complex but the solution is always simple. Always remind yourself you are stronger than you know.

This piece originally appeared on Thought Catalog.