Anxiety Vs Passion
For those who don’t know me personally, I’m one of the most socially anxious human beings on planet earth. I came, I saw, I made it awkward.
For the sake of my businesses, I’ve found a way to embrace said awkwardness. As a result, I can still usually build pretty solid relationships with my clients. That is, until there are more than one of them in the room and my brain turns to porridge.
At this stage in life (somewhere in between 41 and 43), I think it’s fair to say that this is who I am. No amount of therapy, extreme exercise or Buddhist retreats are going to fix me. Although I’m fully aware of their benefits, the one thing that’s lacking in activities like this, is passion. The drive and enthusiasm to pursue your goals.
But what about leaning into your actual passions as a form of self-help? This is something I’ve practiced in two forms for well over a decade now. Firstly, a combination of walking, hiking and exploring. Secondly, creativity, primarily in its visual form, but written comes a close second.
Anxiety management
A true passion gives you something to look forward to. It’s like when you book a holiday and spend every moment of the countdown in visualisation mode. Occupying your mind with thoughts of doing something you love results in less time spent thinking about how bad your next (insert your deepest insecurity here) is going to be.
If there’s something you’re passionate about, pursuing that passion can be a source of energy as well as a way to supercharge your own learning and development.
Ultimately, the more you enjoy an activity or hobby, the more you’ll plan your life around it. The further down the rabbit hole you delve, the less you seem to worry about anything else. It provides purpose, which, in turn, provides resilience, motivation and wellbeing.
Nope! Maybe. OK.
Us anxious folks seem to dread almost everything other than sitting at home with a book. I’m in no way an expert here, as I avoid countless social activities, but what if you could say yes to a few more invites, with the excitement and enthusiasm for your passion to see you through.
I use this all the time. I’d rather be at home or out doing something I love, but I’ve also got to show my face and try to appear normal for a certain amount of time.
When people are in their element, they connect with something fundamental to their sense of identity, purpose, and well-being.
Oftentimes, it can be easier when you’ve got that niggling thought in the back of your mind about your passion project. A little burst of mental energy and feel-good endorphins to power your social battery. At least, until it’s an acceptable time to make your excuses and run for the hills.
Knowledge is confidence
When you reach a certain level of knowledge and understanding in any given practice, your confidence in that area grows. This, again, is an opportunity to sidestep your unruly, not to mention unhelpful thoughts.
A creative pursuit can also help to build your self-knowledge, growing your understanding of what makes you, you.
Self-knowledge refers to knowledge of one’s own mental states, processes, and dispositions. Most agree it involves a capacity for understanding the representational properties of mental states and their role in shaping behaviour.
Mindful passion
In my last post, I talked about the benefits of photography and creativity for mindfulness. In much the same way, nurturing your passions will serve as a calming, healing and therapeutic respite from your otherwise anxious thoughts.
Doubling down on what you really love gives your soul a little extra purpose. A meaningful desire that, in today’s franticly paced lifestyles, should never be underestimated.
