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Wellness

Owning Not Knowing – Trying to Overcome my Anxiety

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MSU chapter.

“It’s very okay to not know.” I pinned this cute little quote on my “mental health” Pinterest board probably months ago now. At the time, I was very afraid of uncertainty, rather than being excited about the future.

Being afraid of uncertainty is a very human feeling, especially for those who struggle with anxiety. It’s easy to constantly reevaluate, analyze, and criticize various aspects of your life. This can bring out negative traits I’ve noticed in myself, from being over-critical or a perfectionist, and not taking good care of myself. It’s easy to want to feel in control of everything because we think that might make us feel more fulfilled or at ease. However, I’ve recently learned how a certain level of uncertainty is good. 

It’s good not to always know. 

Life would be quite monotonous if we had no excitement or newness to it. I’ve been starting to be able to identify again when I feel at my best: when I have a feeling of freedom and potential. When you’re going through a rut of self-consciousness, it’s easy to forget that the very things you worry about could be the things you need to let go to feel happy.

Letting go. This is such a necessary and healthy thing to practice. Letting go doesn’t mean not holding people accountable or not acknowledging a feeling, to me, it means not giving so much ENERGY to this worry. Easier said than done.

Focus on the potential you have. I personally have felt that when I’m more anxious, I’m more self-critical. Focusing on ways to GROW or opportunities to look forward to instead of ways you’re lacking is so important! 

Remind yourself that you’re worthy and whole. You are not lacking and you are eternally good enough, you provide so much value. Learn to admire traits about yourself instead of comparing and being a pessimist. 

You have the potential to grow into the person you want to be.

Elizabeth Cordill is a graduate of Michigan State University having studied Neuroscience with a concentration in Behavior and Systems. Upon graduation, she hopes to work during gap year(s) prior to pursuing medical school. A wide variety of specialties interest her: from OB/GYN, neurology, and pediatrics, just to name a few. Elizabeth is passionate about improving patient care, an interest she has furthered with research involvement on campus. On campus she has been most recently involved with epidemiology research in gynecological health. Outside of being a writer and member of the design team for Her Campus MSU, she enjoys spending time with friends, cooking, scrolling on Pinterest, spending time outside, working out, working with kids, and traveling. She has loved writing since taking Writing as Inquiry (WRA101) here at MSU. She has loved her experience in Her Campus!