Anxiety is a big issue for human beings and always has been. It’s not something new. All animals are affected by anxiety. People noticed a rise in anxiety during the industrial revolution and noticed an upswing in suicide because people were losing connection with one another and social support was disappearing. When you’re an animal, all alone, the whole world can seem filled with danger. Multiply that by the fact that some people have a genetic tendency to be highly reactive. This is something you’ll notice in a person even as a baby. Some people are born with highly reactive nervous systems – meaning: They have an amazingly sensitive radar system. The slightest noises or flashes of light or temperature sets them off. Don’t look at this as a bad thing. It’s just that they are an animal who stays alive by being highly VIGILANT. Their radar system is exquisite and picks up things other people’s radar system does not. It’s both a gift and a curse. It’s a gift because you will be aware of things first. It’s a curse because you will be aware of so many things… it can become overwhelming.
Ultimately it’s not a bad thing. You may be an animal who stays alive by being highly VIGILANT. Your radar system is so exquisite it picks up things other people’s radar systems do not. So it’s both a gift and a curse. It’s a gift because you will be more aware of things than others. It’s a curse because at time it can overpower your ability to handle that stress. Baby yourself. You have a highly sensitive nervous system. Your body and mind don’t like the constant nature of stress, so, yes, you might pick jobs that elicit low stress levels. Try to create an environment where you can locate order. You may need exposure to order and systemic logic on a regular basis just to feel aware enough to handle future stress.
If you are overwhelmed for long enough, it can lead to depression. Stands to reason, right? Being in overload for long enough causes an animal to shut down. Their body and brain turn off. This is what Martin Seligman called, “Learned Helplessness. At first he thought that shutting down under extreme stress was learned. Then he realized it is an evolutionary survival mechanism. So if you’re shut down and depressed – it’s because your survival mechanism has kicked in. It’s not that there is something wrong with you. It’s that something is RIGHT with you. There is too much stimulus in your environment for you to handle. The shutdown and depression is just a neon light warning you to get out of your situation.
Look at your life as if you were someone else who lives very far away. What would that person see? What would that person tell you? Generally, you already know what you need to do and what you need to eliminate. You just feel trapped and can’t see a way out. But there ALWAYS is a way out. You just have to be creative and keep working toward that goal. Don’t get used to being miserable. Take action. A little bit each day… until you get out of the situation causing the anxiety.
There is nothing wrong with you. You just have a better, more efficient nervous system than others. It can be overwhelming. You may have to find a place that fits you better. If so, bide your time, do it safely, but start taking steps, little steps every day, that will lead you into a place that suits you better and where you can be at your best. It’s not rocket science. Motion creates motion. You may not see the effects of your small steps for a while – but you CAN see the effects of doing nothing.
The important thing to remember is that anxiety is a normal part of life. Recognize it – identify it as being necessary or unnecessary. Necessary stress lights a fire under us and pushes us to succeed. Unnecessary stress usually is caused by some belief we’re hanging onto… telling us we can’t do anything about it. Nonsense. You’re capable of amazing things. Be creative. Start taking little steps. You can do it.
Stare at the center of this image and control your breathing – breathing in and out in a controlled easy manner – and say to yourself, “I have a great radar system in my body and have to protect it. I’m turning the dials down now – giving myself a rest.”