Every minute we do something for our well being deserves acknowledgement. We should count every second. Years ago, anxiety took over. After the birth of my third child, I caved as stress and anxiety consumed me. I couldn’t go anywhere without fearing awful things would happen. After a few attempts, I connected with a therapist who showed me the value of taking things slow. By creating a pace I was comfortable with, I overcame the crippling emotions and terror that prevented me from living.
“Moving rocks today strengthens you for moving mountains tomorrow.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo
Instant gratification is what I expected, and truth is, I still catch myself wanting this timeline. When something doesn’t fit, I should make it fit or throw it out. And I should do so immediately. Well, I did not recover from my mental health battles overnight. To move forward, I studied it. I listened to myself, listened to others, took from these teachings what I needed, and left the rest alone. It took about a year overcome my anxious mental road block, which is longer than I wanted.
Now, I look back at my struggles and appreciate this part of my past. The work to get here was hard, but it’s now “complete”. I use that word lightly because there is always improvement to be made, and self understanding to sort out. Always.
As a writer, I’ve come to terms with not being a best-selling author right out of the gate. I have a lot to learn. I must practice. There are years ahead to work on my craft. For my garden, when I lose my crop of onions to onion maggots for the first time, I determine what to try next year. I have to wait an entire year just to try again.
The pandemic has forced me to slow down. It’s preventing me from planning my immediate future. Things can change quickly sometimes, but they can also take longer than we expect. We steer our own ship, right? It takes effort. My message is it’s okay to find a pace that works for you. Your mental health is important. Progress is important. Progress is not always comfortable. In fact, it usually isn’t. Keep asking yourself hard questions and finding time to move in the right direction. Even if it’s a fraction of an inch, one day you will look back and recognize the miles you’ve come.
Photo by Daniel von Appen on Unsplash updated with Canva.
Melisa Peterson Lewis 
As I read, I wondered at our similar stories.
I was hit with debilitating anxiety in 2017, and it took about a year and a half to heal/calm. I tried medication and therapy, change my circumstances, lowered stress. Then after all that time, I greatly reduced my daily sugar intake and also started exercising. That helped a lot. Still, I had to learn and practice mental fortitude against anxious thoughts. It wasn’t easy. But I’m finally don’t feel like a victim of anxiety anymore. Fear sometimes tries to take hold, but I’ve been able to stay grounded. Thanks for sharing your story. Take care 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. Very similar to what I’ve experienced. I have also changed a lot of habits that weren’t healthy. I’ve also learned when to step back from a situation that isn’t healthy or moving me in the right direction. Not even day is a good day but most are, and the hard ones are easier than before. Thanks for reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I too am content with just doing the best I can in bettering my craft, and not really expecting outward results to judge my writing progress. Hope all goes well for you, and thanks for sharing, Melisa!
LikeLiked by 1 person