Moms Living With Anxiety: Messages to Our Past and Present Selves
written by Liz Nissim, Ph.D., posted on Psychology Today
How many of us adults live with anxiety on a daily basis? How long have you been feeling anxious? Has motherhood or other life transitions heightened your anxiety, perhaps giving it an unexpected twist? Anxiety is a shared struggle—one that doesn’t discriminate. It affects people from all walks of life, from celebrities to members of our local communities, even those who seem to “have it all together.”
The truth is that anxiety doesn’t care about socioeconomic status or profession. It can stem from genetic predisposition or from being raised in environments where anxiety was inadvertently passed down. Many of us have faced life experiences that shook our sense of safety and trust in the world. No matter how we got here, the fact is—we are here.
As a psychologist, I often sit with young adults who mirror my experiences. Sometimes, I find myself saying, “I feel like I’m talking to my younger self.” How often have you reflected on your life and wondered how it might have been different if you had acknowledged your anxiety sooner, without shame?
We often wonder what it would be like to live more fully in the present and less in the endless loop of “what ifs.” How often do we wish we could go back, speak to our younger selves, and change the way we navigate life’s challenges?
Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety
Anxiety has a way of consuming the present moment, pulling us into a spiral of regrets about the past or fears for the future. But while we can’t rewrite our history, we can learn to change our narrative. Here are a few pieces of advice I wish I could have given my younger self—and that I hope will resonate with you.
1. You will be OK.
Catastrophic thinking can make every setback feel like the end of the world. For example, one bad grade might spiral into fears about losing scholarships, dropping out of college, and ultimately failing at life. Looking back, it’s clear how irrational such thoughts are.
The reality is that isolated events rarely determine the course of an entire life. You are resourceful and capable. No matter how overwhelming a situation may seem, you can navigate through it and find solutions.