(and How I Finally Put It Down)
I used to wake up feeling like the world’s unofficial guardian, hyper‑aware of every noise, every email, every notification, every food choice, every meow from my cats. My constant worry leaked into work, parenting my daughter, money fears, even breathing felt like a risk assessment. Inner peace? Gone! I needed to do something about everything and everyone. That’s trauma‑based anxiety: fight/fawn survival response in action.
But today? My baseline anxiety is lower than ever. Not because I’ve “fixed” the world, far from it. But because I recognized that I was holding onto everything, and reclaimed my responsibility. That shift didn’t happen overnight. It took years of self‑work, mindfulness, and science‑backed strategies.
We Can Heal from Anxiety
(But Not Without Hard Work)
Anxiety isn’t a character flaw. It’s a natural reaction. When miswired, it becomes chronic. Healing isn’t a meme, it’s a messy marathon. Yes, after many years of self‑work, change is possible. And yes, that’s uncomfortable truth, not fluff.
It took me a lot of journaling, writing, meditating, introspecting and so, so many other focused activities that I am not going to list here (again). If you’re interested, check out posts like:
and
to realize that stopping the constant worry often means doing nothing. And that doing nothing is hard… Moreover, here is a brief explanation for why it is so hard for some of us to unwind, relax and just do… nothing:
What Is Anxiety, Exactly?
Anxiety is an alarm system in the brain, overactive in many of us. It is those feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. It’s rooted in the “fight or flight” response. When chronic, it hijacks daily life.
Let’s break that down:
- Inner peace becomes an elusive dream when your amygdala is stuck on high.
- Silent panic lurks under every email notification.
- Survival response that once saved us now overshadows our evenings, weekends, sleep.
- Fight mode triggers – a stressful meeting feels like a saber‑tooth encounter.
- Constant worry hijacks focus and joy.
Categories of Anxiety
(Don’t Panic, But Read On)
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – chronic constant worry, 6+ months
- Panic Disorder – sudden attacks of silent panic, racing heart
- Social Anxiety Disorder – fear of judgment and public humiliation
- Specific Phobias – like spiders, flying, or the sound of a cat jumping
- Separation Anxiety – yes, adults can have it, and it’s real
- Agoraphobia – a survival response gone rogue: fear of open or public spaces
- Obsessive‑Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – rituals meant to reduce anxiety, but they trap you
Each type sabotages inner peace, fuels constant worry, and triggers fight mode. That’s why so many of us feel “responsible for the world” when really we’re strapped into a faulty alarm system.
How Anxiety Impacts Life
- Work performance: Leaky focus, constant checking, burnout
- Relationships: Emotional exhaustion, misread cues, boundaries chaos
- Physical health: Chronic stress weakens immunity, disrupts sleep
- Parenting: Fear of messing up leads to overcontrol
- Everyday pleasure: meals, cats, walks, recipes – even a granny’s salad – turn into battlegrounds
Abramowitz, Taylor & McKay’s research (2009) showed that avoidance and reassurance-seeking reinforce anxiety. Ironically, trying to “fix it all” just keeps the cycle going.
Scientific Theories & Uncomfortable Truths
- Cognitive Behavioral Theory (Beck, 1960s): Anxiety = distorted thinking + avoidance behavior
- Polyvagal Theory (Porges): Our vagus nerve – once protection – can freeze or hijack us
- Neuroscience: Chronic anxiety rewires neural pathways – hippocampus shrinks, amygdala grows
Famous Voices
- Sigmund Freud famously called anxiety “the signal for forbidden impulses”
- Carl Jung saw it as necessary chaos before individuation
- Seneca (Stoic philosopher): “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality”
Great Anxiety Stories
- Barbra Streisand said her anxiety made her prepare harder, and it shows
- Leonardo DiCaprio reportedly uses anxiety to fuel his performances
- Florence Welch has said anxiety gives her artistic edge
So yes, it’s not all despair, and performance anxiety has its upside. But turning anxiety into power takes structure, self‑awareness, support, not more panic.
How I Put the World Down
- Name the fear: Not “I’m broken,” but “My brain thinks there’s a sabertooth.” That’s CBT 101.
- Slow exposure: I let sounds happen – cats, doorbells, silence, chaos.
- Mindfulness: Slowly, I learned to sit and not do exactly what “How to Enter the Zone…” suggests
- Rewiring habits: No more frantic controls. Instead: deep breaths, short breaks, presence.
- Self‑study: I read Jung, Porges, Beck, Stoics, and I came up with a great piece: “Your Face Reveals Everything, Even Your Past”
- Community: no therapy cause I strongly believe we can heal by ourselves, however, real conversations, wrote honest blog posts like “Do You Think that Honesty Is Really Honest?”
Add a Dash of Humor
(Because Irony Helps)
Let’s be honest: anxiety is the uninvited guest who rearranges your furniture and eats your snacks, then judges you when your cats ignore them. But once you know that guest and its tactics, you can escort it politely out the door.
One Final Recipe for Anxiety Relief 🍲
Not just mindfulness, cooking helps too. Try Romanian Cold Mushroom Salad or Easy Low Carb Stuffed Mushrooms from Cooking Romania by Vivi . Simple steps, sensory focus, nourishment, without overthinking whether the world will end if you forget garlic.
Want More?
Dive into The Vivi on Instagram for stories & reflections.
Or follow Cooking Romania by Vivi on Instagram & YouTube for mindful, soul‑and‑stomach‑friendly cooking.
Uncomfortable truth, scientific data, inner peace isn’t a magic selfie, but it’s absolutely possible. You’re not responsible for the world. You’re responsible for breathing, choosing, laughing, changing. Let’s put the world down, shall we?
Vivi Ball is a Romanian-born actress, language trainer, life coach, published author, blogger, Goth and industrial music promoter and photographer with a passion for cooking and self-realization.
Vivi has been writing about the process of self-realization through mindfulness and compassion since the age of six. She helps people know themselves and live their best life. Vivi has been teaching English and Romanian to 10,000 + students since 1990, and she has been blogging about the role of cooking at the intersection of food and self-mastery using simple recipes and copyright food photos.
Vivi and her daughter, Adara created Cooking Romania by Vivi, a blog of easy recipes for busy people, with a Romanian twist. This blog is a tribute to her paternal grandmother, Victoria Paladi.
In addition to her culinary endeavors, Vivi explores themes of mindfulness, self-love, and personal growth through her self-realization project, The Vivi. This platform offers insights into her spiritual journey and aims to inspire others to pursue inner peace and a fulfilling life.
Vivi’s diverse interests and experiences reflect her commitment to quality entertainment, teaching, self development, storytelling, cooking and photography, all while honoring her cultural heritage and family traditions.
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