OPINION: Learning to Find the Light in Everyday Anxiety

Story by Samantha Cuneo
Photo Courtesy of Samantha Cuneo

Anxiety is a superpower and the self-diagnosis of nearly every human being. It is the strength behind our grip on life.

Anxiety keeps us on top of the 35 tasks we wake up to in the morning, as well as the emotional tamer when we are feeling unstable.

Anxiety presses us to have a sense of control over everything, which can make you feel like a real badass.

When we accomplish all of our daily duties on top of waves of emotion and then begin homework at 11:30 p.m., we can at least open our laptops knowing we kicked ass today.

Unfortunately, keeping a grip on life at all times is a real struggle. Anxiety just as much a villain as it is a superpower.

Life can turn and begin to drag us by the arm. When we can’t control what’s
happening, when we can’t fully prepare for the unknown, when we are emotionally unstable or when we work super hard and fail,

anxiety can hurt.

Because it’s control over life that we crave and when that’s lost, we feel it – sometimes deep.

The world is communicating in these unplanned, unorganized, unexpected moments and telling us to chill out.

Because there is no way we can have our shit together all the time, and that’s okay.

Anxiety can kick in, telling us to scramble and clean up the mess, but sometimes it’s best to stop and laugh at yourself.

Not out of hopelessness but out of pure humor in a ridiculous attempt to actually
control every second of life.

If we learn to fall in love with these moments so many of us resent, we can find peace.

It is an entire perspective shift from absolutely loathing waking up early to finish a paper to absolutely loving it. Or rather, finding the peace in a situation that is simply reality.

This is life challenging us.

And our anxiety loves to fight right back.

It is a superpower to be anxious, because we can channel this into massive progress.

We can get a lot of things done when we really need to.

But it’s something we need to set down sometimes, and remember to cut ourselves some slack.

Because it’s okay to be out of control and not know what is coming next.

These moments are opportunities for us to fall in love with the humbling experience of
being human.

Because we are all human, and being out of control can be more fun anyways.