Six Women On How They Deal With Seriously Anxious Days

Anxiety and I are well acquainted. Since my formative years, I’ve navigated life with an uncertain feeling in the pit of my stomach and a constant fear that everything is about to go wrong. It’s not all bad. At times, my anxiety has helped me avoid making decisions I’d probably have later regretted, but its presence remains stifling and exhausting on particularly bad days. Anxiety is the never-ending conversation in my mind that can’t be silenced. The constant drive for perfection –and the niggle that says, ‘I’m not quite good enough.’

Sadly I’m not alone. One in eight Australian women have reported experiencing an anxiety-related condition, according to mental health charity, Beyond Blue. That’s thirteen percent, or around 1.5 million, of us. Across the world, that number stands at an estimated 264 million, with women twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.

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