Anxiety holds us down in chains so thick and so strong, yet entirely invisible to others.

Anxiety controls our actions, our thoughts and our feelings. During some days, or in some situations, it can feel like anxiety has all the control, and you no longer have a say in what you can accomplish. Anxiety has made the choices for you.

Living and attempting to deal with anxiety can be one of the most complicating and frustrating tasks a person has to endure.

Sometimes it might feel like there is a monster in your head controlling all your thoughts. Sometimes it can feel like the entire world is plotting against you.

Lifelong friends become questionable friendships as your brain forms some ridiculous reasons as to why they might not appreciate your presence anymore. But the last thing anyone wants to be is that annoying friend or significant other who constantly asks to be reassured during those relationships.

I wish I could give you a solid answer on the key to destroying anxiety. Unfortunately, I have no idea how. Every person is beautifully unique and has the introspect to discover how to find their own inner peace.

Personally, I have taken the “idgaf” approach. I firmly believe that those who are meant to be in your life will be, and those who are not will find their way out of your life at some point.

Never be afraid to form bonds with people in your life, but never hold on to the feeling of that bond being broken. People will come and go constantly throughout your life. We are all so young and have so much left to experience. What matters now probably will not matter five years from now.

One of the most exquisite qualities of our species is our ability to feel emotions to such extremes. Many people often wish they could stop feeling, to lessen the pain or to keep them from getting hurt. Whatever the cause, it can become overwhelming when we lose sight of how to deal with our feelings in a healthy manner.

Becoming overwhelmed with emotions can be a terrifying experience. With your mind racing, your chest heavy, breathing becomes an extremely difficult task. The best way to get through this, for me at least, is to just ride it out. Trying to fight it will only bottle it up for another time. Letting everything out through any form (drawing, listening to music, writing, etc.) will clear your chest and mind.

After the tidal wave has passed, do everything you can to make yourself happy again. Take care of yourself. Do what makes you happy. Take a shower, wrap yourself in your most comfortable clothing, grab as many snacks as you possibly can, drink some cold water and turn on your favorite show or movie. Taking care of yourself is so incredibly important.

Both a blessing and a curse, emotions make us who we are and embracing our emotions, no matter how extreme, is probably the most viable option to finding inner peace. And please, never forget to take care of yourselves. Your health, emotional and physical, is the most important thing you need to worry about. Everything else can wait.