Anxiety - 'Tis the Season!

 

I had simple sinus surgery a year ago, and it didn’t work! So after more than 2 months of dealing with a sinus infection (and trying every feasible remedy), I had full-blown sinus surgery 2.5 weeks ago.

These past few months have been tough knowing I would need to face this reality, and I will admit, being sick, not sleeping, and anticipatory anxiety has gotten the most of me. Not sleeping, over/under-eating, easily irritated and equally irritable, difficulty concentrating, and continually asking “why me” and thinking about how defective I am, and searching “sinus surgery” on Google.

Please tell me that you have done similarly when avoiding the inevitable! And Google is the worst education tool when anxiety is involved!

Well, surgery it was, and while it was really horrible, I’m 2.5 weeks out, and healing! Imagine that! And all those things I worried about – I can’t even remember them, and yet all those behaviors I adopted – now I need to break those habits!

The  below thoughts have helped me step out of my emotional self and rationally think through what I’m anxious about rather than letting the anxiety control me. I hope, particularly this season, these will be of benefit to you.

“We don’t fear the unknow, we fear the thought of the unknown.”

“The worst bullies you will ever encounter in your life are your own thoughts.”

“Is there something I can do now to relieve my concerns for tomorrow?”

“Filling my mind with good thoughts means there is no room for bad thoughts.”

“The doctor knows what he’s doing.”

“What if things work out?”

“Ommmmm.”

“You are bigger than what is making you anxious.”

“Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow, it empties today.”

“I give myself permission to be anxious, and then I give myself permission to move forward.”

“Nothing is permanent, not even our troubles.”

And lastly – “Just breathe.”

More tomorrow -