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A couple of weeks ago, I was re-starting this newsletter and had a rush of emotions. I was cranky, fighting extreme procrastination despite having already written the post, and I was starting to talk myself out of it. I was driving home from taking the photo at the ball diamond when I noticed shallow breathing and my chest tightening. Oh my goodness, for real, I’m tensing up towards an actual panic attack? Oh my! I’ve only had a panic attack once and know the second one is brewing, I act quick. I identify my emotions and dig underneath the fear.
I was amazed that I was having anxiety around this newsletter. I wrote it for over 2 years before taking a break and I had mostly praise, only a couple of trolls, and many people had asked when it was coming back. Once I realized I was having anxiety, I knew I needed to just push forward.
Wow, okay, so here I am, a grown woman with a toolbox full of anxiety reducing tools having anxiety over something I’d been successful at. Mmmm. Interesting, right? I’ve been saying that doing more coaching with young people around anxiety has felt like it was chasing me. I refer my teens and early college age clients to work with my friend Beth Tuttle and her EFT Tapping and Acupressure techniques as part of their coaching experience. Beth and I have spoken repeatedly about feeling like we were being prompted by God/Life/The Universe to do more for young people and anxiety. My recent anxiety lets me know we are on the right track.
Let me introduce you to Anxiety Michigan. It’s not a company or an organization, it’s an online presence that connects wellness advocates with young people whose anxiety is holding them back from living their lives to the fullest. We are kicking it off with the #FEARLESS Campaign that combines the best of what Beth does with the best of what I do. We aren’t doing anything different than we have been, we are just trying to build a greater awareness and reach more of those who need support. In other words, we are here for you and we have tools you can use.
Anxiety is very real and rapidly increasing across 16 to 22-year-olds. There are many reasons for this and every person’s anxiety looks different. There is no one size fits all solution. We create personalize support plans because we both understand that managing anxiety is a life-long process. We strongly believe however that you can control your anxiety versus anxiety controlling you.
Like I said, I have a toolbox full of anxiety tools, I know that if I could have learned many of these tools earlier in my life that I would have had more confidence. And confidence is what helps young people change the world. I can’t wait to see what this next generation is going to add to this world and to support their confidence building feels like an honor.
You can help too! Come see us at Bronco Bash on Tuesday, August 27 at Western Michigan’s Sangen Pedestrian Mall. Visit anxietymichigan.com and share our information with any young person in your life who is struggling with anxiety.
