Little Things Anxiety Tricks You Into Feeling Bad About

You’ll feel bad about having nothing to add to a conversation. When there’s a lull in conversation or you have trouble answering a text, you might feel like you’re a terrible conversationalist. Like you’re boring and no one will ever want to speak to you again. But you need to stop being so hard on yourself. Everyone goes blank every once in a while. Everyone has trouble coming up with ways to keep certain conversations going. Even though you might feel like everyone else always knows the perfect thing to say while you’re stuck struggling, it’s not the truth. Even social butterflies end up in awkward situations here and there.

You’ll feel bad about taking up space in a conversation. Even though you might get anxious when you’re too quiet because you’re worried others are judging you – you might also get anxious when you’re speaking too much. You won’t want to bore others with your opinion. You won’t want to ramble on while they’re secretly wishing you would stop talking. You want to give other people space, so you feel bad about taking up your own space. You feel bad about using your voice – even though your opinion matters too. You’re allowed to speak your mind. You don’t have to hide in the shadows if you want to stand in the spotlight.   

You’ll feel bad about asking others for help. Anxiety might make you feel like a bother. Like you’re getting in the way. But if you have a question for a worker or a teacher, you’re not bothering them by approaching them. It’s their job. It’s their responsibility to help you. And, to be completely honest, there are plenty of other people who are going to come up to them throughout the course of the day. They probably won’t remember you, so the pressure is low. Even though you might feel uncomfortable asking them for help, they’ve probably heard the same question a million times before. They probably don’t mind assisting you.

You’ll feel bad about saying no. You’re allowed to say no when someone asks you for a favor or invites you to a party. Even though you care deeply about being liked, you shouldn’t live your life in order to please other people. You need to worry about yourself for a change. You need to do what’s best for your own mental state. You’re allowed to say no if you are already swamped with responsibilities – or if you simply don’t want to say yes. Turning others down doesn’t make you cruel or heartless. It makes you a human who knows how much they’re capable of handling.

You’ll feel bad about being anxious. You might feel bad about the fact that you have anxiety because you don’t want to ruin plans or be a party pooper. You don’t want anyone to tiptoe around you to spare your feelings. You don’t want to disturb the status quo. But your anxiety is not your fault. It’s not something to be ashamed of, and it does not make you unlovable. You should never feel guilty when anxiety strikes because it’s not something you can control.