Season of Stress

Tis the season in full swing--and if we're not mindful, our nerves will be dashed as ever-mounting stress drives those jing-jing-jingling reins. The holidays gift a dizzying array of demands--parties, shopping, baking, cleaning, entertaining... we're distracted, worn down and perhaps, for some, the stress can reach very uncomfortable levels. In his book PANIC: One Man's Struggle with Anxiety, emerging author Harry Floyd candidly shares his own struggle with anxiety in an effort to guide others who suffer with this often debilitating condition. 

Earlier this year, Harry wrote an insightful article for Rake the Light on this topic. My hope is that it brightens your spirit and opens up a healthy a forum for discussion in the new year. 


Anxiety Impacts Everyone  by Harry Floyd


Male, female, young, or old, anxiety plays a role in all of our lives.



When I sat down to share my story with anxiety, it never occurred to me that my perspective (as a young adult male) might be particularly unique. My story doesn’t come from someone who is a medical professional, but rather just your average twenty something year old male.



Anxiety has been part of who I am since I can remember. As a child, I didn’t quite understand the feelings and reactions I was having. The nerves I felt overwhelmed me in social situations. I withdrew, attempting to deal with my situation on my own. It wasn’t until I grew older and opened up to others that my situation became clear.



Something I stress in my book, PANIC: One Man’s Struggle with Anxiety, is that you cannot cure yourself of who you are. Anxiety is not something to fear or let prevent you from doing the things you love. Rather, it is something to further understand because it is simply one aspect of you. Anxiety should not define you. It can be an isolating phenomenon, but if you approach it with greater understanding you will find a surprising amount of comfort in your own skin.



The topics of anxiety, stress, panic disorders, and more have been somewhat taboo in our culture’s history. Social and cultural stereotypes have a way of influencing how we deal with these stressors. Males are not always thought of as being ones to disclose their feelings openly. This wasn’t something that even crossed my mind at the time of writing my book though. In fact, it was something that I discovered later through the reactions of others to my willingness to share my story.



There is a huge takeaway here – society is moving in the right direction when it comes to being open-minded and understanding.



No matter who you are, you should feel comfortable sharing your story. The social stigmas surrounding anxiety and being candid are going away. I have felt tremendous relief from sharing my experiences and hearing from others.



Three concepts I emphasize in my book are reflection, openness, and active participation.



First, you should understand yourself further by reflecting on what you are feeling. Then, relate to others by opening up and sharing your experiences. It is amazing how much we grow when we take that initial step to connect with another individual. The final part of the process is remaining actively engaged in your journey through life and anxiety. Never stop seeking to learn more about yourself. I’ve tried numerous ways of dealing with my anxiety. Maturity, life experience, and learning from others have improved each and every positive habit I have incorporated into my life.



Getting past that initial hesitation to open up is a big challenge. But, once you take that leap, I promise it will be worth it.


No matter how overwhelmed you may be feeling, you are not alone. There are others out there, just like you, going through similar experiences and many of them are having tremendous success. They would love to help you do the same.



I will leave you with a line from my book – “Happiness and peace will come if you actively search for it.”

Learn more: HarryFloyd.com  

Photo Source: Worry, Masahiro Hayata, Tokyo, Japan; Happy Holidays, Marcus Quigmire, via Wikimedia Commons