Curtin graduate and Graphic Designer Jessica Clark.
In my experience, there was nothing more relieving than finding out that I was living with anxiety.
It’s great if you don’t suffer from anxiety, but if you do have it and don’t know, it can be damaging. I say this because for many years I wasn’t even aware I was living with it until I reached breaking point.
My anxiety was brought to my attention by a psychologist when I was 24 years old. I am a people pleaser, and nothing triggered my anxiety more than when I felt I had let someone down or if I presumed someone was upset with me. I would draw irrational conclusions.
There were times when a friend wouldn’t text me back immediately and I would start over-analysing every word I wrote and reading it aloud to hear how it may have been interpreted. This would eventually lead to sharp stomach pains, and if I really didn’t have it under control, vomiting.
It was such a relief to know that anxiety was the reason behind those numerous times I was so inundated with worry. Now I could finally learn ways to manage it and avoid reaching those tipping points.
Over the past eight years that I’ve been aware of my anxiety, I have learned how to manage it.
One of the biggest challenges I’ve experienced in my career was the first time I covered the incoming social media messages for a major event, where I found it extremely difficult to separate myself from work.
When people were directly messaging negative comments across my workplace’s social media channels, I took it personally and left work that day feeling broken.
But I knew that running away from that trigger wasn’t going to help me face it in the future.
I started convincing myself that I wasn’t cut out for the role, and I never wanted to put myself in a position to feel that way again. But I knew that running away from that trigger wasn’t going to help me face it in the future.
After a few days of letting it consume me, I reached out to a colleague who had dealt with a similar experience in the past and I found this immensely helpful. She changed my perspective on the situation – these displeased customers weren’t speaking to me personally; they were addressing their grievances to the workplace. It seems obvious, but sometimes when your anxiety is unknowingly triggered it can become hard to see a different perspective.
This paradigm shift was all I needed to release the weight I was carrying; thinking all these people were unhappy with me as a person – they weren’t.
This was an uncomfortable experience, but it taught me how to slow down and think rationally which has better prepared me to handle these situations should they arise in the future.
I find it helps to talk about how I’m feeling before I let my brain go on a tangent.
I’m very grateful to have a supportive husband who is very understanding of my anxiety and its triggers. In moments when I find my mind racing, he helps me brainstorm logical explanations.
I find it helps to talk about how I’m feeling before I let my brain go on a tangent. Sharing my anxiety with my closest friends and loved ones has also been beneficial, as it has helped them better understand the condition and how they can help me avoid triggers.
This write-up is based on my own personal experience with anxiety. Over the years when I’ve shared my experiences with family and friends, I’ve discovered how vastly different anxiety and its triggers are for each individual. What works for me doesn’t always work for someone else, but talking with a professional can be hugely beneficial to learn how anxiety works in your world and how you can use it to benefit you rather than work against you.
If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 for round-the-clock assistance and support.
Written by
Jessica Clark, Senior Graphic Designer at Optus Stadium and Director (Customer Relations & Marketing) at Treerings Australia
Jessica graduated from Curtin with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Creative Advertising & Graphic Design and Digital Design in 2016. With over thirteen years of experience in marketing, graphic, and digital design, Jessica has been responsible for an extensive range of creative projects for government, industry, not-for-profits, and small businesses. She has also been responsible for advertising and retention campaigns across the historic WACA Ground and Optus Stadium, and simultaneously operating her family’s small business, Treerings.
