Those of us who live with anxiety have likely had the realization that we’ll always have a little extra stress following us around than others on any given day.
While that tether to anxiety can certainly feel like more of a ball and chain than a friendly puppy on a leash, the relationship each of us has with mental health is a complex experience — one that is certainly worth navigating.
Haley Weaver — the artist behind the popular Instagram account @haleydrewthis, and the mental health newsletter Haley Wrote This, has just released a poignant, playful book all about this relationship.
It’s called “Give Me Space but Don’t Go Far: My Unlikely Friendship with Anxiety,” and it’s full of personal stories, relatable anecdotes, and comics that make anxiety almost seem adorable. Almost.
Weaver shared the following comics and excerpts from her book to help all of us Nervous Nellies feel seen, understood — and maybe even a bit more in control of our anxiety.
The best Haley Weaver comics about living with anxiety
The brain-eating amoeba
If anyone asks if you’ve been Googling your symptoms, just show them this comic instead.
Confidence in your coping skills
It’s always such a relief when you feel like you’ve finally conquered something … only for your anxiety to say “wait a minute, I think I’m actually more qualified to take this on.”
An out-of-body experience
Somehow, anxiety always seems to be around when you’re trying on clothes, doing your hair a different way, or even making new friends. Like, who asked you?!
The spiral
First lesson in panicking: One anxious thought always leads to another. And to another… and another… and another.
That heart-sinking feeling
The moment of realization when a panic attack hits, or an anxious thought fills you with dread? Just like being on the top of a rollercoaster.
Liar, liar
Anxiety just looooves it when you come home after a fun night with beloved friends and suddenly they can make you feel like you actually did everything wrong.
A big, dark tornado
Sometimes anxiety spirals get so big and so meaty that it’s hard to ever find your way out. Sometimes they get so overwhelming that you begin to realize that what you’re really scared of is the anxiety itself.
Setting boundaries
Once you emerge from those dark storms, the clouds always part, and you realize that you really do have the strength and wisdom to decide what feelings deserve your attention.
The game of life
Even when healing isn’t linear, you can keep stepping in the right direction — one that leads to a deeper, fuller, and more beautiful life, even with anxiety by your side.
You can learn more and explore more of Haley Weaver’s work at haleydrewthis.com or @haleydrewthis. Check out her new book, “Give Me Space but Don’t Go Far: My Unlikely Friendship with Anxiety,” wherever books are sold.
Header image courtesy of Haley Weaver/Penguin Random House
