13 Comments
User's avatar
Rachida Benamar's avatar

Thank you Sian for writing this. It is so important to share!! We feel less alone. I have suffered from anxiety since I can remember. My mum is very anxious too and I have inherited from her. It is debilitating at times but I guess I have never known life without anxiety so I guess I am a functioning anxious if that makes sense. What help me is walking (a lot) when I have my bouts of anxiety I walk for 1h or more. Journaling and I am french so I let it all out hahaha it truly helps. I had CBT and it is life changing. Everyone should see a therapist. I think it is a huge red flag if someone tells me they don't need it. Beautiful post and sending you a big hug. Also we should all go out for our long overdue tea catch up. Love one day the book and the movie

Expand full comment
Sian Gibson's avatar

Thank you for sharing Rachida and yes to the coffee ❤️

Expand full comment
By Nat's avatar

Good on you for being so honest. I hope writing about your anxiety helps. I am the same as you and find it does help as an outlet.

I absolutely love One Day -- 💯 one of my top 10s. Thanks for sharing, Sian :)

Expand full comment
Sian Gibson's avatar

Thank you Nat ❤️

Expand full comment
Jess's avatar

I can imagine that this might have been a difficult one to publish and so well done for sharing with such vulnerability! Wishing you many more good days ahead.

I find running incredible for mental health, clarity, perspective too :)

Expand full comment
Sian Gibson's avatar

Thanks Jess ❤️

Expand full comment
Katie Kiaunis's avatar

I can totally relate to this, especially about how anxiety can affect sleep. I love the idea of having some comfort books nearby!

Expand full comment
Rebecca Hanley's avatar

I love the honesty in you writing. Thank you for sharing. I had a day like that yesterday, it all felt just a bit too much. I always return to Wild Embers by Nikita Gill. A book of poems, I love to choose a page at random and it’s usually just the works I need to feel a bit better. I hope your week gets better!

Expand full comment
Sian Gibson's avatar

Thank you Rebecca and hope your week gets better too ❤️

Expand full comment
Janelle Hardacre's avatar

Thank you so much for sharing, Sian. I think it's so helpful and generous when people talk about their experiences of anxiety. Sometimes it can be so hidden and we compare our inner selves with someone else's outer presentation. (Sad that we develop skills to mask how we really are).

I resonate with so much of what you've shared here.

Exercise helps me so much too! Moving my body to some joyful music or going outside to be closer to nature for a walk or run. The main reason I exercise is to support my wellbeing. I don't really try and get PBs or look at my fitness levels etc but I can imagine for some people this aspect is also really motivating.

I love that you have comfort books. My current comfort show is Ru Paul's Drag Race. And a book I discovered during an anxious patch was Lark by Anthony McGowan. It's a children's book and quite short but stunningly written and the depictions of nature were what drew me in. It's a series so I'll go to the others at some point, I'm sure.

Take care and well done for putting these things in place to take care of yourself (writing, movement etc)

Expand full comment
Sian Gibson's avatar

Thank you Janelle and I will look out for the book ❤️

Expand full comment
Stephanie Jucar Cooley's avatar

I feel this so much!!! Same thought as Nat -- I hope writing helped. It helps me, when I can find the will to do it. I’m glad you ran and read too. Such great ways to release.

Expand full comment
Sian Gibson's avatar

Thank you Stephanie ❤️

Expand full comment