My Anxiety Is Green — And She’s Trying to Tell Me Something

 “UGHHHH! There’s so much to do and I don’t even know where to begin!” 

Ever felt like that? 

I was overwhelmed, constantly behind on deadlines, homework, and exams preparations. My chest felt tight, my hands were sweaty, and my brain was not helping at all.

That’s when I looked around and thought: Who invited ANXIETY????

Well……no one! 

She had just quietly shown up on her own, as she always does.

Recently, she appeared in my racing thoughts at the school festival, while I worried about how I looked or what my friends thought of me. Sometimes, I felt like I just didn’t belong…that everyone else seemed to know how to fit in except me! 

For a long time, I imagined Anxiety as a black shadow surrounding me. I tried to ignore her and push her away, but she simply wouldn’t leave. She felt heavy and exhausting, almost paralysing my limbs, setting my insides on fire, while my heart and thoughts raced against each other. 

She also showed up during family drama and when there was the pressure of high expectations…… to do so much and that too – to always do it well. If I was lucky enough, I would have my own personal space and privacy, but that wasn’t always the case. With family pressures breathing down my neck, Anxiety sat right beside me.  

And Anxiety never came alone.

She often showed up with her friends, Shame and Fear! 

Together, they tighten my shoulders and clench my jaws. Every time I tried to sleep, they seemed to wake me up, with another thought, another worry, another headache. 

They came whenever I felt this internal pressure that I needed to do EVERYTHING perfectly.

Oh, I tell you….making a mistake was simply not acceptable. 

Sometimes, I would spend hours working on one assignment, just so I could make it flawless. Other times, I avoided even starting because I was scared of making mistakes. 

And if there everrrrrrrr was a mistake? Shame took over.  

Anxiety also came when I was lonely and had no one to share my emotions with. 

“Who would even understand me”, I thought to myself. And so I bottled everything up, and pretended to be OK. Anxiety stayed with me. 

But one day, something changed. 

I finally noticed her.

I sat with her.

And suddenly, she turned green. Green….the colour of nature!

That’s when I realized something so important. She had been trying to tell me something all along:

She wanted to protect me! 

Now my Anxiety is Green. She still visits me and I don’t feel scared of her anymore. She communicates with me, gently reminding me of what I need. 

• Pause & Breathe ……..to calm my mind and body

When my heart and brain are racing,she reminds me to slow down. 

I use Box Breathing:

Breathe in, hold, breathe out, and hold again for equal counts (like 4 seconds each). This helps me slow down and relax.

• Let It Out ……..to feel lighter  

When I am carrying a lot of heavy emotions and have no one to talk to, she tells me I need to let it out and express myself in a safe way. So I use my Simplihuman app to journal how I feel or write a note and release it in the air like a paper plane.  

• Ground Myself …………to calm racing thoughts 

When I am constantly worrying with ‘what if this happens’ scenarios and my thoughts are racing, Anxiety reminds me to come back to the present. 

I use the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise: In my surrounding, I look for

• 5 things I can see
• 4 things I can touch
• 3 things I can hear
• 2 things I can smell
• 1 thing I can taste

It sounds too simple, but it works wonders. It pulls me out of the “what ifs” and brings me back to what is actually happening right now. 

• Move My Body……….to release physical tension 

When Anxiety shows up, she doesn’t only live in my thoughts…..she also lives in my body too. So she reminds me to move.

I stretch, shake out my hands, go for a short walk, or just dance to my favorite song when no one is watching.

It doesn’t have to be a workout.

It just has to be movement. This helps to relax my muscles.

• Reach Out……….to reduce isolation  

When I feel alone with everything I’m carrying, Anxiety reminds me that I don’t have to handle it all by myself.

So I reach out to someone. I message a friend, talk to someone I trust, or simply say:

“Hey, I’m feeling overwhelmed right now.”

I don’t need any perfect words…… I just need connection. And if no one is available, I talk to my friendly Simplihuman guide. Somehow, sharing even a little makes things feel less heavy.

So now that you know my Anxiety is Green, what colour is yours……and what is she trying to tell you?