Anxiety. It affects over three million Americans every single day.

One day can feel like a month, an hour feels like a week, yet somehow the time you spend sleeping goes by so fast and you’re still tired the moment you wake up. It affects every piece of you. Once it has a hold on you, it swallows you. It owns you now. The old you could believe everything you heard without a second thought, you thought nothing of walking into a crowded room, or driving your car. Now you can count on one hand how many things you don’t second-guess in a day. It takes a toll on all of your relationships. You can barely recognize yourself now.

Anxiety is living life with Simon Cowell in your head judging your every move and making sure you notice every time you screw up. It’s easier to hide your fears and thoughts because when you explain it aloud to someone, it doesn’t make sense to anyone but yourself. When your anxiety comes to visit, somehow all of your logic leaves. It wakes you up in the middle of the night because your brain can’t shut down. It’s reminding you of your fears and how easily they can play out in front of you right there. Its walking into the cafeteria at college without your friends and instantly wanting to throw up because there are too many people and all of them are judging your existence. It's getting a call from your mother but automatically assuming the worst. It's replaying that instance in your head that you said something weird to a passing by stranger on the sidewalk. It’s driving in your car and your heart rate increasing with every passing car. It’s having someone love you so deeply but you struggle to understand why, or what the catch is, or when something will go wrong because everything about him or her is perfect. You overthink and overanalyze every possible situation you may face in fear that you may not be prepared if that happens. Anxiety is a thief. It steals away your tranquility, your happiness, and your excitement.

Anxiety is a battle, one that is fought every day. It takes time to learn to manage. But it’s important to remember to face every new day with a positive mind and attitude. Not every day will be easy, but you’ve survived 100% of your hardest days thus far.