Managing Anxiety: Celebrating the Small Wins

Dealing with anxiety can feel like an uphill battle some days. Maybe you woke up this morning with that familiar tightness in your chest. Maybe you've been white-knuckling your way through situations that seem effortless for everyone else. And maybe, just maybe, you're wondering if any of this is actually working. Here's something I need you to hear: every single day you show up and try to manage your anxiety is a victory. Full stop.

The Small Wins Count Too

We live in a culture that celebrates the big, dramatic transformations. The before-and-after stories. The overnight successes. But real progress with anxiety? It rarely looks like that. It's quieter. Messier. And honestly, a lot less Instagram-worthy.

Your victories might look like:

• Using that breathing technique you learned, even if it only helped a little

• Getting through a social event without leaving early (or hey, even just showing up)

• Challenging one anxious thought instead of believing all of them

• Asking for help when you needed it

• Having a rough day and choosing not to beat yourself up about it

• 
  

These things matter. They really, really matter.

Progress Isn't Linear (And That's Okay)

If you're frustrated because you had a good week followed by a terrible day, I get it. It's tempting to think that managing anxiety should be a steady upward climb. Once you learn the skills, you're done, right?

Not quite. Progress with anxiety looks more like a squiggly line than a straight arrow. You'll have setbacks. You'll have days where every tool in your toolkit feels useless. And that doesn't erase the progress you've made. It just means you're human.

Give Yourself Some Credit

This is the part where I invite you to pause and actually acknowledge what you've been doing. Not in a "toxic positivity" kind of way, but genuinely. What's one thing you've tried recently to manage your anxiety? Maybe you downloaded a meditation app. Maybe you reached out to a friend. Maybe you just survived a panic attack and lived to tell about it. Whatever it is, that took strength. The fact that you're reading this post right now means you haven't given up. You're still looking for answers, still trying to feel better, still showing up for yourself even when it's hard.

That's not nothing. That's actually pretty incredible.

You're Stronger Than You Think

I know your anxiety probably tells you otherwise. It might whisper (or shout) that you're weak, that you should be able to handle things better, that everyone else has it more together than you do. But here's the truth: living with anxiety takes enormous strength. Managing it, trying new strategies, facing your fears, and getting through tough moments takes even more. You're doing hard things every single day, often without anyone else even noticing.

So today, I'm noticing. I'm seeing your effort. And I'm reminding you that progress doesn't always feel like progress in the moment, but it's happening anyway.

Keep Going

You don't have to be perfect at managing your anxiety. You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to keep trying, keep learning, and keep being kind to yourself along the way. Every coping strategy you attempt, every moment you get through, every day you choose to keep working on this. It all adds up. You're building something here, even when it doesn't feel like it. And on the days when it feels like too much? Remember this: you've survived 100% of your worst days so far. You're stronger than you think.

Trish Carter, LCPC, LIMHP