💭 Part 2: Dear Anxiety, We’re Done

Dear Anxiety,

We’ve been together for a long time — longer than I care to admit. You showed up uninvited and convinced me I needed you to survive.

You told me if I kept worrying, I could prevent bad things from happening.

If I stayed alert, I’d stay safe.

If I stayed small, I wouldn’t disappoint anyone.

For a while, I believed you.

You were the background noise of my life — whispering what ifs into my coffee, stealing my breath at red lights, following me into grocery aisles and sleepless nights.

You wrapped yourself around my thoughts so tightly I forgot what silence sounded like.

But here’s the truth: I’m tired.

And I’m not yours anymore.

🩶 You Wore Me Down

You disguised yourself as responsibility.

As caution.

As control.

But really, you were fear in disguise — a liar with good intentions.

You made me apologize for existing too loudly. You made me second-guess every text message, every social interaction, every word that left my mouth.

You convinced me that being careful was the same as being kind.

It’s not.

I gave you too much power — letting you decide when I could breathe, laugh, or rest. You thrived in my overthinking, feeding off my sleepless nights and tight shoulders.

You made chaos feel familiar, and peace feel like something I had to earn.

But not anymore.

☁️ The Soft Goodbye

I’m not going to pretend I don’t still feel you sometimes — like a chill that sneaks through the window cracks.

But now, when you come knocking, I don’t open the door. I light a candle, take a deep breath, and remind myself that I’m not in danger just because I’m uncomfortable.

You taught me what hypervigilance feels like, but you also taught me what calm costs — and I’m willing to pay the price to have it.

I don’t hate you.

You protected me once — in dark moments when I didn’t know how else to cope. You kept me alert when my world felt unsafe.

But I’m not that scared girl anymore.

I’m learning to trust peace again.

🌷 I’m Choosing Something New

I’m choosing stillness, even when my mind screams for control.

I’m choosing rest, even when you call it laziness.

I’m choosing joy without waiting for the catch.

You had your season, but it’s over.

I’ve outgrown the constant hum of panic.

I don’t need you to keep me safe — I have faith for that now.

So this is goodbye.

Thank you for what you taught me, but I refuse to live like everything is on fire when it’s not.

With clarity, with courage, with deep exhale —

I’m letting you go.

✨ Takeaway: Peace Isn’t a Stranger

Anxiety teaches us to fear calm, as if stillness means danger is near.

But peace isn’t a stranger — it’s just the voice we stopped listening to.

You don’t have to fix every thought. You don’t have to analyze every fear.

Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is breathe — slowly, intentionally — and remind your body:We are safe now.