Overcoming Anxiety

Happy Thursday; seriously, is July almost over already?

Today I'm excited because we're hosting a SnoCones with the Counselors event at our local shaved Hawaiian ice place and I can't wait to cool off with some of our cool school family members! 

I'm also giddy with delight because my first post for We Are Teachers went live this morning. Click {here} for four tips on jazzing up your welcome back letter this year to take it from meh to WoW.

 And I'm so grateful for this therapeutic treasure.

It's no secret that being hit head on by a drunk driver four years ago left me suffering from anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Medication and trauma therapy helped me during the darkest times as I bounded into my new normal. But still, car rides are difficult and Anxiety rears its ugly head to try to trick me into thinking that I am not safe. I gasp and fuss at John, my driver and best friend, pretty much without exception, on every road trip we take. And those anxious moments of panic and not feeling safe are not only confined to the car; oft times Anxiety follows me to school, home again, out into the community even. This spring I had a trigger on the day of our school fundraiser and I had to leave the party early. That time, it grabbed ahold of me and held on tightly for an 

entire week. {Have I mentioned that car wreck was 4 years ago?}

So you can imagine my joy when I stumbled on a book that invited me to win my life back from fear and panic. Without telling you too much about this incredible resource, I'm just going to tell you this:
 Reading and digesting it made me realize that I've had it backward. 

I've allowed it to be 

Anxiety overcoming me 

when all along I've had the power to make it 

Me overcoming Anxiety. 

See? Backward.

To be clear, it's not by any real fault of my own.

Anxiety is tricky that way.

It wants us to be a nervous wreck.

It wants us to believe that we are powerless over it.

It wants us to believe it's there to protect us.

And so much more that you'll learn about in the book.

So many lies.

So much deception.

In her masterpiece, psychotherapist Jodi Aman shares her journey through anxiety and offers authentic accounts of real people who've moved from panic to peace with her counsel. She shares the biology behind fear, offers empowering strategies to overcome anxiety, and provides suggestions for day-to-day ways that we can keep ourselves safe while showering ourselves with compassion and care. 

Thank you, Anxiety Tamer, for sharing your story

and stepping into mine.

Your insight will not only help me personally, but has also provided me a terrific professional resource for when I work with anxious kids who are experiencing anxiety, panic and fear. 

Me overcoming anxiety 1, 

Anxiety overcoming me 0.

Any questions?