Staying Accountable to Yourself amidst Anxiety

Staying accountable to yourself while struggling with an anxiety disorder can often be challenging. I commonly find when in the midst of a time of high anxiety, it’s all too easy to be swept up into the emotional rollercoaster and neglect yourself and the things that mean a lot to you.

It is okay to let yourself have bad days. It is perfectly fine to accept that some days, you cannot be all the things you wish to be, and accomplish everything on your full to do list.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is try to narrow the scope of things running through your mind, and just focus on yourself.

With each moment and minute, try to reposition your mind to the things that are most important. At the end of the day, your priorities are you and your mental health. Who you are, and what you have to offer, is of value.

Letting yourself take as much time is needed to regain sight of who you are is often a challenge, but it is well worth the effort.

When dealing with anxiety, you are often your own biggest enemy, and biggest ally.

It may not seem it at times, but you are able to make it through. It takes work, but it is well worth it.

One of the best ways to keep yourself accountable to yourself is to limit the amount of commitments that you take on. Often, when I’m having a hard time with my anxiety, I need to keep my days very structured, so I know I am accomplishing something. Lists may help create a tangible vision of what needs to be done, and limiting the number of items you commit to each day can also keep you accountable to actually accomplishing what you put your mind to.

To keep my days from becoming too overwhelming, it’s best for me to focus on the things that are most important, and to not commit to things I know will be too big or too much all at one time. We don’t always get to choose how much we have going on at once, but if we have the choice to limit the number of extra commitments at one time, it’s a great way to stay accountable to ourselves. Doing this can also decrease anxiety surrounding what we have to get done, if a busy schedule is someone’s trigger like it is mine.

I don’t believe there is any magic cure to staying accountable to yourself.

It is often challenging to keep yourself in mind as you go about your life interacting with others and fulfilling commitments. However, it is important to keep your mental health in mind through it all. You know how much you are able to handle at one time, and only you know how much is too much.

Taking time for yourself, and giving yourself moments to focus solely on your mental well-being is important as you take steps towards recovery and a happy and healthier you. Staying accountable to yourself may seem like an inconsequential detail in your busy life, but it is actually a vital step to well-being.

Micaela

Micaela is a student at Simon Fraser University, working towards at double major in Communications and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. She calls BC her home. Micaela is passionate about telling people's stories and creating words with weight.