Well hello to you my reader chums! Anxiety has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and even though, at times, I hate that it's something I have to live with, without it, I don't think I would be as strong as I am today.

Anxiety is hard and tiresome but a tool I've used to help myself and others, and here are 5 things I've learnt living with anxiety.

To be more empathetic and understanding

Living with anxiety isn't easy and a daily battle with my own mind to not fear the unknown, whether I'm good enough, and feeling like a burden to those around me for having these negative thoughts. However, because I live with anxious thoughts and can be triggered by different things, I've become a lot more empathetic and understanding of everyone else around me. I know the care and reassurance I need to ease my own mind so I can offer that help to others, and have more patience and understanding when people confide in me.

I'm really passionate about mental health and this empathetic mindset has helped me learn a lot more about other mental illnesses, how I can do my bit to help them, become more aware as a whole, and be more mindful when I speak to people. It's so important to be kind as you never know what someone is going through. The happiest people or those who seem the happiest, are usually dealing with the hardest of issues. 

To prepare for situations more

Anxiety goes hand in hand with overthinking, and that means thinking and thinking about something until it happens or if it even happens. As annoying as this thought process can be and deal with at times, it can be a great tool in terms of life. Because I overthink all the time, I prepare for situations, some situations that may happen and some that won't. But it means, I am more ready to deal with the repercussions of something, to deal with the tasks that are ahead of me, and in general, be more prepared for life as a whole. 

That I'm stronger than I think

Anxiety often makes me feel weak, it makes me feel vulnerable and like I'm worthless, but these are all emotions that I constantly have to fight with and overcome. And, because of that, it makes me strong, it makes me stronger every day to know I have to battle with my mind and rise above my anxiety and rise above the hard thoughts. 

Strength comes from within and there are many things that make us stronger. We learn from our experiences and grow stronger with each down moment. The hardest times with my anxiety have taught me the most and given me the assurance that I can overcome hurdles and keep going.

Who the important people are in my life

Having anxiety, I've constantly doubted my worth and the love people have for me, and the love I have for myself. But it's also made me learn that because of these thoughts, I know who I can rely on and confide in about my anxiety. It's allowed me to keep and invest in the people that invest in me, and cut out the toxic people or those who didn't understand my mental health. It's also made me more aware of who is good for and who isn't, and helped me read people a lot better, and what they can bring to their lives or what I can bring to theirs.

To love harder

I never want anyone feeling alone or like they aren't good enough because I know how isolating a mental illness can be and what feeling that way is like. Because of knowing how hard it is and dealing with that emotion, I like to do every in my power to make people feel loved, make people feel amazing about themselves, and realise that they're wonderfully unique. I love hard, as hard as I can for all of those around me, and spread kindness where possible, to try and make people feel better. It's so important to always be kind.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you have anxiety?

Thank you for reading <3