This morning, as I was driving out to Rock Creek, a song called My Anxiety came on the radio. At first, I wasn’t paying much attention—but then a few lyrics hit me in a way that made me pause. The song focuses on numbing anxiety with drugs and alcohol. While that part isn’t what I want to focus on today, the title itself stopped me in my tracks.
My anxiety.
When we use the word “my” to describe something, we’re claiming ownership. And when we take ownership, it tends to stick to us. It becomes part of our identity, whether we want it to or not.
As someone who supports others on their healing journey, I’m a firm believer in acknowledging emotions, including anxiety. Emotional healing starts with recognition, not repression. But here’s the shift: what if we could recognize anxiety without claiming it as ours?
For me, a mindfulness technique that helps is talking to the anxiety instead of about it. When I feel it creeping in, I’ll silently say something like: “Okay, anxiety. I see that you’re here. I acknowledge whatever you might be trying to tell me. But I don’t own you, and you don’t get to stick around.”
It’s not a magic fix, but it is a powerful mindset shift. Recognizing anxiety as something passing through – not something you are – creates space. It gives me the clarity to use my mindfulness tools, regain focus, and move on with what matters.
If anxiety has been showing up for you lately, I invite you to experiment with this idea. What happens if you stop calling it your anxiety? How does it feel to acknowledge it without making it part of who you are?
This simple language shift has become an important part of my own emotional self-care – and I hope it might offer you a little peace, too.