Do you ever get anxiety?

Ever since Nicole sat down with me and talked about her anxiety, I’ve been thinking about it. She did the challenge and at the end of it, she realized that she didn’t have any anxiety at all during the challenge. She said she used to get anxiety at least 3 times per week.  She said during the challenge “I really mellowed out and nothing affected me anymore. At work I have a lot of responsibility, but for 1 hour a day (while working out at Camp Rhino) I didn’t have any worries. Brent is such a good coach. The constant encouragement and the constant support was amazing. No one just stared at me wondering what I was doing. It’s just so peaceful in his class.”

I’ve been asking multiple people who suffer from anxiety what helps them with it. There are so many different types, and many people need to go to a doctor and get medication for it, which I have heard is life-changing. Other things that help are exercising and taking control of our diets. However, the #1 recommendation I keep hearing is ‘Reach out to someone for help.’

Last night I got a tightness in my chest and felt that old feeling of anxiety building up. I happened to be asking one of our Rhinos on Facebook messenger how he was doing and decided to share how I was feeling with him. His advice was solid. He said to not be afraid to ask for help, and that the tightness in my chest was probably telling me something. I went and played soccer, got a big ol’ hug from our rhinos at the soccer game, and felt better once we started playing. The crazy thing is, anxiety makes me want to do the opposite of reach out for help. It makes me want to retreat into a corner and wait it out so no one sees the vulnerability. But the absolute best thing I could have done was be with friends.

Don’t be afraid to reach out, and don’t be afraid to let us know how you are feeling. We are here for you!

<3 Julie

I would like to continue to compile tips on beating anxiety and further advice on depression, so keep those emails coming! I will be seeking out a professional to help with any questions you ask, and then recording it for all of us to learn from.