Anxiety Doesn’t Mean Weakness

The difficulty of living with this anxiety was the eventual development of a perception of weakness about myself. Anxiety and low self-esteem often go hand-in-hand because of this perceived inability to achieve unrealistic standards, and so with that constant feeling of inadequacy can come a feeling of weakness associated with a lack of control over situational stressors.

How I've Dealt with Feeling Weak Because of My Anxiety

Over time, I realized that many of those feelings I had come to struggle with were associated with my anxiety. I realized that those feelings of fear, inadequacy, and constantly being overwhelmed were often obstacles to opportunities in my life. Even worse, the more I saw myself as someone who was weak, the more I believed it, and so I also believed that I was incapable in many areas.

However, what I needed to do -- and what took me some time to realize -- was that just because I was often anxious, it didn't mean that I was weak. It didn't mean that I was inadequate or incapable in any way. It didn't mean that I couldn't be as successful as others, strong as others, or bold as others.

What it did mean was that, quite simply, the emotional struggles that I experienced were things that I needed to focus on managing. Managing these struggles involved being strategic and intentional, whether through coping mechanisms, building my resilience, self-affirmations, reframing self-talk, or using other helpful coping strategies. 

It also meant that I needed to accept that I would deal with anxiety constantly, on a daily basis, and that I would need to manage it as a part of my life.

Weakness and Anxiety

I've come to realize this is not a negative thing, and anxiety doesn't mean I am weak, and it doesn't mean that I am less than others in any way. It just means that it is a part of my own humanity.

If you've dealt with feelings of weakness because of your anxiety, share how you have coped in the comments below.