No-fuss anxiety tips #15

Whose responsibility is it?

Here we are at blog number 15 in this 20-article series on anxiety.  If you’ve not read any of the previous posts, you can find the first blog in this series here. Each article focuses on simple tips and techniques for managing anxiety and is designed to be both a quick-read and informed by therapeutic thinking from a range of psychological and psychotherapy theories.

What these tips won’t do is explore the origins and purpose of anxiety for you – this type of deeper exploration is what therapy offers. That said, having easy to implement, no-fuss strategies for managing anxiety is a great place to start.  So – tip 15 is: whose responsibility is it?

There are many areas of your life where you have responsibility. But you’re not responsible for the whole world! Or even all the people in your corner of the world.  You don’t need to feel burdened by responsibility that is not yours. Taking on other people’s responsibilities as if they are your own leads to anxiety and overwhelm as you begin to feel you have an awful lot to worry about.

To what extent do you find yourself feeling responsible for everyone else?

Taking on responsibility that’s not actually yours can be a contributing factor to anxiety.

Examples of ways you might be taking on responsibility that isn’t yours include:

• Feeling responsible for managing other people’s thoughts.

• Feeling responsible for managing other people’s emotions.

• Feeling responsible for managing other people’s behaviour.

Working out what is truly your responsibility and then leaving the rest to others is a powerful step towards managing and reducing anxiety.  You’ll have less to worry and panic about and can concentrate just on the things that you are responsible for. It’s not your responsibility to make sure your children are always happy:  that’s an unrealistic expectation. It’s not your responsibility to do everything perfectly.  Having a clear sense of where your responsibility ends can really help to keep anxiety at bay. 

Consider whether there’s benefit in taking time to ask yourself what it is you are and are not responsible for?

There’ll be more blogs within this series covering other strategies for living with greater ease if you struggle with anxiety.  If you’re considering speaking with a counsellor about anxiety, do get in touch. We can work together through online counselling or through face-to-face counselling at my therapy room in Preston.