11 Things Anxious People Are Tired Of Being Anxious About
Turbulence is not our friend.
getty There's nothing glamorous about dealing with anxiety. Sometimes, you'll have moments where you panic over the smallest things out of nowhere; they'll leave you feeling messed up for days at a time.
We pretty much live in "crisis mode" and, trust us, we are so tired of trying to figure out how to deal with anxiety and getting worked up over the following things. So very tired.
1. Turbulence
Am I the only control freak out there manifesting fiery worst-case scenarios every time the plane exhibits even the slightest bit of turbulence? And you better believe I'm the person doing labor breaths and repeating, "Turbulence is a matter of comfort, not safety. Turbulence is a matter of comfort, not safety." (Because that's what my airplane self-help books tell me to do.)
2. Not getting somewhere on time
We always leave plenty (read: hours) of cushion room to avoid the stress of willing a traffic jam to un-jam or a delayed subway car to un-delay.
Do not even get me started on the time I left my iPhone at home and only realized it the moment I arrived at the airport, resulting in Home Alone-esque dash through the mean streets of Chicago while I sobbed: YOU JUST DONT UNDERSTAND. I HAVE ANXIETY.
3. Meeting new people
Do we have to? No, really, do we have to?
4. Deadlines
Especially the ones where we've procrastinated until 12 hours before something's due (no, anxiety does NOT preclude procrastination) and we're half-scrambling, half-swearing to ourselves we'll never, EVER wait until the last minute ever again. Spoiler alert: We wait until the last minute again.
5. Having cancer
Because f*** you, WebMD, for the many, many sleepless nights you've caused us, because in the same way all roads lead to Rome, all symptoms lead to cancer.
6. Unanswered texts
Are they mad? Worse, are they dead? #totallyrational
7. Everyone else's driving abilities
People dealing with anxiety make fantastic backseat drivers. It's totally not annoying at all to have an extra person letting you know when you're riding someone else's butt on the road, right?
8. Confrontation
Just... no. We're huge believers that any and all issues can be worked out through email or Facebook chat. Don't call me and don't you dare show up at my house.
9. Our parents' health
See #5, but insert your parent's symptoms. This one gets us especially riled up because the thought of life without our Mom and Dad is just... beyond incomprehensible.
10. Finances
Thank god for financial advisors who bring some sort of semblance to 401Ks, Roth IRAs, stocks and bonds and... oh wait, we just fell asleep. But seriously, we're obsessive about saving and investing, because shocker: Not being financially secure in the future stresses us out.
11. To-do lists
For every item we cross off, why do three more appear? You're cruel, God.
Andrea Zimmerman is the editor-at-large at Yourtango. She enjoys reading, traveling, and reading while traveling. Follow her @angiecat86 on Instagram.