When Your Anxiety Makes It Impossible To Focus

When your anxiety makes it hard to focus, you aren’t able to accomplish as much as you would like in a single day. And that can cause even more anxiety. It can create a vicious cycle where you want to get things done and end up mad at yourself because as hard as you try you aren’t able to get things done. You aren’t able to keep your mind focused. You aren’t able to concentrate on the right thing. All of your attention is being dragged in a different direction. Your focus is placed on something else, something you wish you could stop thinking about but is eating away at you, consuming you.

When your anxiety makes it hard to focus, it’s difficult to explain your issue to anyone else because they will act like it isn’t a big deal. They’ll simply tell you not to worry about it, to take your mind off it, but it’s not that easy for you. You can’t just turn your thoughts off like a light switch. You can’t just forget about the main thing that has been on your mind. It doesn’t matter that you know you shouldn’t be thinking about this specific problem right now. It doesn’t matter that you know you have all of these other things you should be thinking about instead. You can’t control your brain. You don’t have the power to make yourself stop caring. You’ll always care, whether you want to or not.

When your anxiety makes it hard to focus, the easiest thing to do is procrastinate. To give up. To say you’ll do it tomorrow when your mind isn’t as panicked. And sometimes, that’s the right move. Sometimes, you should give yourself a break until you feel better again. But life doesn’t always wait. Sometimes, you’re going to have to get shit done anyway. You’re going to have to push yourself. You’re going to have to prove yourself wrong. You can do this. You do have what it takes. You aren’t going to let yourself down.

When you have anxiety, you might think the worst of yourself, but the funny thing is that you prove you are capable each and every day. You’re always surprising yourself. You’re always doing things you never thought you could.

When your anxiety makes it hard to focus, you might have moments when you feel like you are a lost cause. Like you’re never going to do anything right. Like your brain is programmed to fail you. But that is not true. Your anxiety isn’t going to stop you from succeeding. Your anxiety isn’t going to stop you from living a beautiful life. Right now, you might have a little trouble concentrating, but you’re going to get past this moment. You’re going to be okay. You’re going to accomplish whatever it is you need to accomplish — and you’re going to accomplish a million more things after that.

But for now, take it one step at a time. Breathe. Go easy on yourself. Don’t rush yourself. Believe in yourself.