A lot of people are dealing with anxiety nowadays. Perhaps it’s our neighbor, or maybe the man sitting right next to us on the bus, or perhaps it’s our friend and we just don’t have a clue. Or maybe it’s us and we don’t know how to deal with it.
Anxiety isn’t all bad, believe me. Anxiety is a strong emotion, sometimes a lifesaver. When it hasn’t reached its peak, anxiety triggers an alarm in our system. Sometimes it acts as a motivator too, such as when we need to write a report or finish a project at work.
But when the levels of anxiety are higher than normal, this fills your soul with strong emotions and fills your mind with toxic thoughts. When the levels of anxiety are higher than normal, this causes your body tremendous stress and causes you to have poisonous worries.
The minds of the people with anxiety play chaotic pictures every time they go to work or try to make a decision. To be more precise, anxiety doesn’t choose when to strike. The moment people start thinking negatively, they enter a more anxious state.
A lot of times, people with anxiety are made to feel even worse with the help of the “well-meant” comments made by their friends and family.
So, if a loved one is dealing with anxiety, be careful what kind of advice you offer them. Make sure you never say to them the following things since telling them this can do more harm than good.
1. “Breathe, try to calm down.”
If you tell a person struggling with anxiety to calm down, that will certainly not make them feel any better. It will be even harder for them to relax, especially when they feel like they were given an order. It’s most likely that these words will have the opposite effect. On the other hand, advising them to meditate or go for a walk every day can really help them.
2. “There are people feeling worse and having bigger problems.”
It doesn’t really matter to someone suffering from anxiety how others feel, does it? Saying comforting things like “other people have it worse than you” won’t help people with anxiety overcome their condition. Everyone has the right to feel the way they’re feeling.
3. “Maybe you should pray a little.”
What makes you think that people with anxiety haven’t tried praying yet? Maybe praying would have a beneficial effect on some, but for the others, it may not be a solution at all.
4. “You should change your mindset.”
Oh, really? How does one change their mindset? – That will probably be the answer you will get if you say something like this to someone struggling with anxiety. You simply cannot tell someone to change the way they think. No one can change their mindset overnight.
5. “Look on the bright side.”
If you tell someone dealing with anxiety that they need to look on the bright side, what they will probably hear is that they’re not doing enough to overcome their condition and that they don’t appreciate life. Unfortunately, there are many people with anxiety who feel like they’re not good enough.
So, instead of telling these words to someone dealing with anxiety, tell them how much you appreciate them and how much you are grateful that you have them in your life. Try to ask them if there’s anything you could do to help them deal with all that stress and overcome their condition.
It’s important to remember that what seems helpful for one person may be triggering for another. Sometimes the only way you can help someone dealing with anxiety is to listen attentively to them, without trying to advise them or reply to their questions.
If you enjoyed reading this article, feel free to share it with your loved ones.
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