Stress and Anxiety
“Fear to a great extent is born out of a story we tell ourselves” Cheryl Strayed
Stress
Stress manifests in many ways such as trouble sleeping, changes in appetite, chronic fatigue, lack of motivation, chronic pain, social withdrawal, and lack of energy. Stress happens when your workload outweighs your playtime and rest time. We were not meant to work ourselves to death. Play, rest, and fun is what makes this life worth living. One of the fundamental beliefs of western culture is that work should consume your life and you work until you die. What kind of life is that? Work is necessary to maintain stability, but it should never come before your personal life. In order to counteract your stress we can work together to find work-life balance, resist the need to be constantly productive, and cultivate a meaningful life experience which includes rest and recovery.
Anxiety
Anxiety and stress are not the same, but they can coexist. Anxiety is a result of our fear response. Anxiety can be paralyzing if it goes without treatment. Living in fear is entrapping, terrifying, and lonely. Anxiety will prevent you from doing the things you most desire in life. Are you afraid of rejection? Anxiety will stop you from applying to your dream job. Afraid of what people will think of you? Anxiety will stop you from building meaningful relationships, leading to an endless cycle of pleasing others over yourself. Anxiety will stop you from living your life the way you want, and deserve to live it. Together, we will work to reduce fear and increase resilience by looking into your past and how it affects your present, while building tools to manage anxiety.