I’ve been trying some of Chloe Brotheridge’s advice around anxiety, mainly the bits about slowing down and being kinder to myself, but I’m trying not to turn it into another thing I have to do perfectly.
That’s harder than it sounds. I’ll read something helpful, feel hopeful for a minute, then start judging myself for not calming down quickly enough. So lately I’ve been treating the advice more like an option than a rule. If breathing helps, I’ll do that. If I’m too wound up, I might just sit with a cup of tea and stop arguing with every thought.
It hasn’t made anxiety disappear, but it does seem to take away some of the extra pressure I was adding on top. I think that’s the main point I’m taking from it. The support is meant to make things lighter, not become another test I can fail.