Anxiety and expression . . . are they related?

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1. Home
2. Mental Health
3. Anxiety

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Anxiety and expression . . . are they related?

Have you ever wanted to express something to another but held back from sharing what was there to express?

Maybe you have wanted to:

1. Tell someone how much you appreciate them and all that they bring … but you didn’t.
2. Discuss a topic that may be confrontational … but you didn’t.
3. Say something that you know the receiver may not like or embrace … but you didn’t.
4. Say how you are truly feeling … but you didn’t.
5. Speak a truth that you sense another will react to … but you didn’t.
6. Share how amazing you feel … but you didn’t.

Why? Why is there is so much there that we want to express, but we don’t?

Is it possible that anxiety is playing a factor here? And hence, is it possible that anxiety and expression are linked?

What if the way in which we express and anxiety are linked in more ways than we have ever considered?

Consider the below:

"When one is experiencing anxiety they do not feel safe to express."

Michael Benhayon

Anxiety is a world epidemic, albeit often a hidden epidemic as many only associate ‘anxiety’ with those experiencing extreme anxiety-related behaviours.

Fact: anxiety is a symptom that is experienced by most, if not all, in varying intensity.

But what if much of our anxiety is exacerbated when a person does not feel safe to express all that is there for them to express?... then our world epidemic would be not expressing our truths and not actually anxiety!

So, why don’t people feel safe to express?

There are many possible answers to this – so many that it could form a thesis of its own. One response that is well worth exploring is to do with one word . . . yep . . . one word! . . .

REACTIONS

When a person expresses there are two possible outcomes:

1. A response – wanted or preferred outcome from another.

2. A reaction – unwanted or non-preferred outcome from another.

There is a lot we can learn about the difference between reactions and responses. A response we feel equipped to deal with; reactions not always so.

Therefore, it is not that a person necessarily fears expression, rather they may not always feel equipped to respond to the reaction that ‘may’ be directed at them after they do express.

Reactions may include other people reacting with:

1. Feeling angry, sad, frustrated, annoyed or some other unwanted emotion at what has been said.
2. Yelling, crying or even giving the dreaded silent treatment.
3. Feeling jealousy as a result of what has been expressed.
4. Judging a person to be right or wrong, based on what was said.

Each and every one of these reactions, a part of an endless possible list, is an example of what we avoid.

Yes, we live in a way of avoiding reactions of other people, as well as living in a way of avoiding our own reactions . . . thus we live in a way holding back expressing all that is there to express.

Is it possible that an antidote to many situations of experienced anxiety and thus a support to mental wellness, is to simply provide a platform free of judgement and reaction, where each person in this world feels safe to express all that is there for them to express?

What if each person in this world became responsible for:

1) Providing a platform for themselves to feel safe to express,

while equally . . .

2) Providing a platform for others to feel safe to express?

Filed under

Anxiety,  Emotions,  Feelings,  Expression