Anxiety from Unfinished Things

It’s been two weeks since my last reflection. Actually, I’ve broken my promise to myself to write a new reflection every week.

I think, to some extent, I’ve been avoiding reality because I haven’t been able to see clearly where my future is heading. But now I’ve started to sort out the things I have in hand, one by one.

This is a typical state for many of us, especially when we are facing challenges. The challenges may be assignments that we should have finished, daily routines that we need to keep up with, or something we’ve realized is wrong but haven’t yet changed.

We see things unfolding in unexpected directions, gradually feel that they are getting out of our control, and then find ourselves becoming anxious or depressed.

A difficult relationship may also be an example. At first, it may only be a small difference between a mother and a daughter. However, without appropriate boundaries, such as when one person becomes overly controlling or the other becomes overly dependent, both may feel stressed. Sometimes, a lack of communication between partners may create distance and misunderstanding, and can even lead to affairs or a breakup.

 I’ve found that our emotions can be far more honest and powerful than our memories. We may have forgotten exactly what the initial problem was or where the turning point occurred, but we can still eventually realize that we have become anxious or depressed. The more sensitive we are to our emotions, the more clearly we may notice these signals.

 Stop whenever you notice that something feels different. Trust our feelings. They can be kind reminders that something needs our attention.

For me, I know it’s time to sort out what has happened to me. I believe I can free myself from this unknown anxiety by going through a new reflection—the one I should have written a week ago. In many cases, this unknown anxiety comes from the accumulation of unfinished things.