The Age of Worry

Beau the dog, who's soooo not worried. 

The title of this post is a reference to a John Mayer song, and it's so fitting.

I've definitely been dealing with anxiety lately. I'm already a neurotic person, so adding the last few months of uncertainty in the mix hasn't been helping.

I saw on a talk show that doing things that take us outside of our comfort zone actually helps with anxiety, even though that seems counterproductive. It's true though. Going to England made me the least anxious I had been in a long time, because I knew I couldn't control everything. I need to be reminded that this mindset can be achieved in my home town as well. Linda is great proof of this, with her fear factor December series (you go girl!). I think Linda is inspiring me to get back out there...

Out there, meaning, the place where you stare anxiety in the face and realize that it's all make-believe anyway. How do you get to that place? Small (or sometimes medium-sized) steps in the right direction. For me that means making monthly bucket lists and grading myself each month on what I've completed (but also being ok with a failing grade, because the whole point is to try!).

Some things on my list?

1. Go for a hike.
2. Make a ridiculous card for a friend for no reason but to make them laugh.
3. Plan a random trip to Vegas.
4. Apply to jobs in San Diego and different cities (possibly even internationally).
5. Let myself be ok with where I am (working as a temp, in a transitional phase).

Not sure how to go about achieving number 5, especially because I'm realizing how much of a perfectionist I actually am. But maybe other small steps will help with the overall big step. The point is to keep taking steps in order to have the nonchalance of Beau the dog.