Anxiety

I want to start off by saying I never knew or really understood anxiety. I have always been someone who worries, stresses, and constantly wondered "what If." It became normal and a constant in my life.

Developed several decades ago by Michele McDonald, RAIN is a tool for practicing mindfulness when we feel overwhelmed by our thoughts and emotions. As someone who both lives with anxiety and practices mindfulness, I found this framework practical and implementable.

The way they are helping me is admirable. They are teaching me to walk again in the beautiful and bumpy roads of life. I have started loving, living, dreaming, and caring for myself.

I’ve learned to cherish my time with my family. I’ve learned to reach out for help when I need it. I’ve learned no one will think I’m weak if I share my feelings or ask for help. I’ve learned the importance of being healthy and happy.

Bodybuilding.com has partnered with the ADAA to build an entire series of articles and videos dedicated to bringing awareness to anxiety and depression among athletes.

Allowing myself to open up to a professional really helped flush out everything I felt inside. For a while I thought sulking in my own thoughts would be healthy but you end up drowning. You need to give yourself to someone who can help correct the way you look at the world.