One Small Step = One Giant Leap for your Mental Health
There are no two ways about it: the pressure we put ourselves under is insane, and for what? Stress, anxiety, panic, depression, to name but a few.
Are we making life significantly more difficult than it needs to be? Is that even debatable?
Often, when an individual — maybe you — falls victim to anxiety or panic, they see only two things: where they need to be — or used to be — and where they are. And they have fuck all interest in the space between. I.e., anything less than a time machine to travel back to normality is deemed unacceptable.
This is a monumental problem as it will result in you ignoring the vital stepping stones required to recover while increasing the likelihood you never do.
You can't leapfrog this shit. There are no shortcuts. It's not all or nothing. You must be patient and kinder to yourself if you want to get better — no ifs, buts, or maybes. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for failure.
You can't just magically return to the past. You have to work hard to get better. If you have an all-or-nothing attitude, the odds will stack heavily against you. And your health will continue to deteriorate.
Set Yourself up for Success
Conversely, if you break more significant goals down to achievable daily goals and both celebrate and measure your progress, you'll soon find that momentum you need to carry you to where you want to be far quicker than you might imagine.
All you're doing is shifting your perspective and deploying an altogether more effective strategy that won't destroy your mental health in the process.
It's not easy getting over anxiety, but it doesn't have to be terrifying, and you don't have to make it an impossible task by refusing to work in between the lines. Seriously, baby steps. Your future self is waiting to thank you for it.
Ask yourself: What grand overwhelming — oh-fuck-I-can't-do-this — goal(s) could you break down into micro-goals and set off to achieve and start making progress with your mental health today?