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Adele is a well-known singer who has 15 Grammy awards under her belt. Do you know what else Adele has? The answer is severe anxiety.
When we talk about famous personalities, we only talk about their achievements. How many Pulitzer or Grammy or Golds a certain individual won. How often do we discuss their mental and physical struggles? Recently, a lot of sports personalities opened up about their battle with anxiety. Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam Champion, recently opened up about her mental health issue. She said that she suffered from depression and huge waves of anxiety for three years.
Individuals who are public figures are more prone to having anxiety because they suffer from an enormous amount of performance pressure regularly. Having said that, it does not mean that regular individuals cannot have anxiety or are in any way immune from it.
Have you experienced sweaty palms and a racing heartbeat while performing on stage? Or have you been sleepless the night before a big day? Has your mind gone blank while giving a test or an interview? I am sure we all have experienced either of these in one way or another. This is a symptom of anxiety.
You heard it. This is anxiety. It can look like anything, sweating, shaking, blanking out, feeling breathless to more adverse symptoms like retching. This depends on how severe the anxiety is. Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders. Unlike other disorders and diseases, anxiety does not usually intervene in your day-to-day life if treated the right way. Even if your anxiety levels are high, seeking proper medical care can help you manage it well. People often confuse anxiety with something else, this is why it remains unnoticed by most people. This is why it is essential to visit a professional.
A person suffering from anxiety can do everything a person not suffering from anxiety can. It has no connection with how efficient or productive a person can be. However, anxiety does often make it twice as hard for people to be productive as compared to their non-anxious colleagues. Another thing with anxiety is that it is often circumstantial. There are often certain situations and circumstances that can trigger anxiety. This is another reason why it often goes undetected because people confuse it with usual stress and worrying. This can be dangerous.
While it is best to seek professional help in case you are suffering from anxiety, if you are feeling stressed or restless, you can try the following:
Meditate - Meditation can go a long way in helping you feel more relaxed and calm you down.
Workout - While meditation is a workout for your mind, your body needs exercise too. Working out for an hour every day will help you drain all the extra energy and help you get better sleep. Your workout can be anything from going for a run or swim to playing a sport.
Pick an activity - Pick an activity that helps you calm down. It can be anything like cooking, drawing, gardening etc. Dedicate a few hours of your day to this activity.
Make a to-do List - Making a to-do list is the first step you can take towards organising yourself. When you are organised, you are prone to manage your work and time better. This would save you from the anxiety of deadlines or feeling overwhelmed by having too much work.
Eat Better - Certain foods contain ingredients that can naturally help curb anxiety. These include chamomile tea, turmeric, almonds, blueberries, bell peppers, chia seeds, oats, dairy products, etc. Making healthy food choices every day can go a long way in helping curb anxiety.
However, practising just these might not be enough. If you feel like your anxiety is interfering with your everyday functioning, it is best to seek professional help immediately.
It is amazing to see so many personalities opening up about their challenges with anxiety and mental health. So how does it help if influential people open up about their struggles with mental health? Firstly, because of their large audience, these influencers play a major role as conversation starters. They hold the capacity to start and direct conversations that affect us all. Thus, when these personalities open up about their struggles, they are playing a big role in normalizing these issues.
Often these personalities partner with initiatives that promote and support the cause. This helps spread awareness and bring about a large scale change in society. Apart from this, it makes us realize these personalities are as human as we are, and have to deal with problems like the rest of us. We are quite used to seeing our favourite personalities in the “perfect” light. These struggles help us see a more humane side and helps us understand that before anything else, they are humans, just like us.
Anxiety has always existed as a part of our history. But today, with so many people sharing their experiences around it, we see it in a less stereotypical way. Anxiety, indeed, is just like any other disease. We do not think that a stomach ache will hamper anybody's productivity, then why will anxiety? Just like any other physical ailment, anxiety, too, needs medical care and attention. With proper care and medication, one can lead a personally and professionally successful life. Thus, rather than treating people anxiety any differently, we must encourage them to speak up about their struggles and help them through the journey in any way we can.
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