Anxiety

This afternoon, I talked to my niece on the phone. She's having a rough time of it right now. She's having difficulty with college and her career plans, and she's about to graduate. Her doubts are palpable. She's experiencing physical as well as emotional problems due to her anxiety. I felt bad that all I could do was give her my support and a few suggestions of what she can do.

Listening to her, I felt that all too familiar tightness in the abdomen. I was feeling her anxiety. I had a lot of my own career issues. I was 40 by the time I got my career back on track. I went through several stops and starts and I suffered from anxiety and depression. It's horrible. And I've been feeling a bit anxious ever since my conversation with her.

I know my niece will come out of this ok. She has a better support system than I had. But experiencing this with her, helped me recall my own difficult times. Times in which it would have been impossible to do what I'm doing right now. It's sort of a vicious cycle. In order to get into a healthier mental state, you need to live a healthier life, but it's almost impossible to live a healthier lifestyle when you're in a weakened mental state. I'm so fortunate that I found myself where I need to be - right here, right now. And thank you to all of you who've have lent me your support. I can't tell you how helpful and important it is.