Perception Perception Perception....
You have heard the saying in real estate Location, Location, Location.
Well within psychological circles the saying goes: Perception, Perception, Perception.
Our perceptions can underpin many of our thoughts about anxiety and depression. The reality is though, that we know our perceptions can be misguided – for what we believe to be real often isn't.
Let me explain.
When we have anxiety or depression we can often begin to believe that something has taken over your life. Its not surprising we start to believe this, as it is often how it feels. As a result, we take the next step and begin to describe ourselves as an anxiety sufferer or as depressed. This then becomes part of our identity. Eg You become Annie the anxious or Doug the depressed .
Don’t fall into this trap. Anxiety is not a thing. It is not an entity. It does not control you.
Anxiety is a condition of overstimulation. How your body is reacting is normal for someone whose body is overstimulated and on high alert. Yes your symptoms are real, and yes, it feels absolutely awful, but….
Your body will calm down. These symptoms will stop.
Just because you have had a period of anxiety or depression, does not mean that you are destined to a life of Anxiety or Depression.
This story highlights what I mean.
“A man found an eagles egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eagle hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms and insects, he clucked, and would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air. Years past and the eagle grew old.
One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. He watched in awe as it glided gracefully among the powerful wind currents with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. The eagle looked up in awe and wonder.
“Who’s that?” he asked. “That’s the eagle the king of the birds,” said his neighbour. “He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth - were chickens. “So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was.” - Author Unknown
However there can be an alternate ending….
Maybe when the neighbour really looked at his eagle friend he began to realise that he was different to the rest of them. He actually looked just like the magnificent bird in the sky….he was actually an eagle. After a lot of encouragement from his friend the eagle then began to look at himself differently and realised that he was an eagle. Finally, one day he took off into the sky souring into the heavens.
Our perceptions can sometimes give us false ideas of our identity. Maybe it’s time to become that soaring eagle, free from anxiety and depression. An important step in this is to change the way you see yourself.
Keep Going.
Sue
