Just Breathe

Every time I meet someone new, or see someone I haven't seen in a while, their first question to me is "So what comes next?", and I can feel my heart rate rising. The question brings up a lot of feelings that I usually manage to push away. What's scary is, I don't know what comes next. 

Uncertainty about the future is frightening. People ask me where I want to be in ten years, and I have a fairly clear idea. But what if it doesn't work out? I want to do my masters; but what if I don't get in? I want a job; but what if I don't get one? There is so much that could go wrong and so much that depends on luck and timing. 

We all like to be in control. The idea that we alone can shape our futures is one we stick to. But we all have our moments of doubt. When the pressure is just too much to handle, when things don't go the way you want them to and you start worrying about whether things will work out, it's not easy to keep the faith.

There are various ways to cope with this anxiety and I'm hoping that writing this article will somehow help me deal with mine. 

The key is preparation. Not just for the task itself, but for possible outcomes. You are strong enough to deal with anything life throws at you. Make sure you prepare for failure and have a backup plan. Knowing that you have something to fall back on will reduce anxiety. Most of this anxiety stems from overthinking things and not knowing what will happen if things don't work out, which brings me to my next point, DON'T overthink things. Imagining the worst possible scenario and dwelling on it is a terrible idea. It's unnecessarily anxiety provoking and doesn't help in any way. 

Don't focus on perfection and always, ALWAYS trust your gut. If you expect everything to turn out perfectly, chances are you're going to be disappointed. Life isn't perfect but it won't give you anything you can't handle.

And if all else fails, just breathe.