Nervousness, fear, and worry are a few of the feelings which tend to relate with none other than everyone’s well known BFF turned enemy, anxiety. Anxiety. It’s everywhere. Whether we run to or from it, anxiety tends to always end up on our front door. Anxiety comes in different shapes and sizes - some mild to severe. In fact, The National Institute of Mental Health stated there is an estimated 33.7% of US adults who experience moderate anxiety, while 43.5% of US adults experience mild anxiety at some time in their lives.  Anxiety gets the best of us sometimes. How anxiety is maintained and regulated is based on how one creates a self-awareness by way of confrontation or avoidance. 

Anxiety is tricky in relationships, platonic, or romantic. It’s tangled and often manifested in other components. We try to take on the notion of playing “mind reader” as if body language or a lack of communication is supposed to represent our biases and perception with a given conflict or situation relating to how anxiety is truly expressed. Let’s get real, not one person thinks, perceives, or responds in the same manner as ourselves.  Communicating our anxiety is necessary to let our loved ones understand what it is and what it is not.

Experiencing day-to-day anxiety gives us the freedom to choose coping skills for our benefit. It’s easier to stuff anxiety with a temporary fix. However, below are some helpful ways to educate and create a space to release your anxiety among your relationships.

1. Give yourself time by establishing boundaries,
2. Acknowledge your emotions,
3. Grab a journal and confront your thoughts,
4. Take a mental break,
5. Talk About it: Learn to listen and ask questions,
6. Exercise or take a walk,
7. Practice mindfulness and breathing techniques,
8. Compare irrational v. rational thinking, and/or
9. Find a trusted individual to talk to – spouse, friend, or a therapist