We have so many shoulds in our lives-- from who we should be right down to how our days should go. But when you have an anxiety disorder, things don't always go to plan.
Tuesday morning, I get on the bus expecting an uneventful ride, but there's a guy picking his nose and wiping it on the back of a chair, then coughing. A germaphobe's nightmare. So I get anxious.
Then I walk from the coffee shop to the grocery store, and it's hot out compared to the temperature inside, and I have a slight headache. Instead of thinking the weather's wonky today, I think "I'm sick, I'm gonna panic, and I'm gonna die". It's irrational, but it's often the anxious person's thought process.
And I feel so small. I had a panic attack today! That's pathetic. I'm pathetic.
But... If we stop giving into the shoulds and start embracing how far we've come, how many panic attacks we haven't had today, we'd be a lot healthier and happier.
I think I'll give that a try. Will you?
