There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done.
One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and, mostly, live.
Perhaps you find yourself worrying much of the time–about something you think you said wrong to a friend, or whether you messed up at work or school. Or maybe you feel nervous in social situations, when you have to meet new people or when you are in a place that you think others might judge you. Or your mind is so busy at night that you have trouble falling or staying asleep. When one problem is solved, another one soon appears. Your stomach stays in knots or your chest feels tight. You may even have full-blown feelings of panic at times—difficulty breathing or a rapid heartbeat or feel like you’re “going crazy.” No matter what you do, you find it difficult to escape the “chatter” of your mind and just enjoy your life. Anxiety gets the best of you.
Or are you someone who wakes up to a dull sense of sadness more days than you’d care to? You’re quick to anger, or others tell you that you’re irritable. You don’t feel good about who you are or what you have to offer. You don’t take the same pleasure in activities that you used to love or hanging out with friends and family. You feel exhausted all day, but then can’t sleep at night. You may try to forget your feelings by staying busy during the day. But eventually, when you return to bed, that nagging feeling of not being quite right returns. Or maybe you’re sad and hopeless most of the day—you just can’t quite “snap out of it.”
Although the world is full of suffering,
it is full also of the overcoming of it.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States. Each year, they affect approximately 18.1% of adults and 25.1% of children between the ages of 13 and 18. Moreover, there is a large correlation between depression and anxiety. Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and vice versa.
Everyone gets worried or sad sometimes. But if you find yourself feeling these ways more times than not and would like to find more pleasure in your life, it may be time to seek professional help.
